Crimson Kiss
by GrimaThanEvil
Summary: Watching the one you love die because of you is probably the worst burden you can obtain throughout this life. Well… hunting them down afterwards to stop mass murders and bloodshed is a whole other story…  Shiznat and yes vampires, so original i know  :
1. The Stake Out

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mai Hime or the characters! Sunrise does! This is purely a fanfic in appreciation for these amazing characters that many have fallen in love with.

**Summary:** Watching the one you love die because of you is probably the worst burden you can obtain throughout this life. Well… hunting them down afterwards to stop mass murders and bloodshed is a whole other story…

Inspired my vampires, Mai Hime, Shiznat and gai-rei zero!

**Enjoy!**

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><p>...<p>

**Chapter 1**

**The Stake Out**

By GrimaThanEvil

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The sound of heavy breathing resonated off the stone walls; its source was unknown in the blackness of the hidden network of tunnels. The tunnels were a great web, a maze, a secret but not to the sneaky rascals that crept through the pipes and sewers to find said network.  
>A whimper could be heard in the dark damp abyss; its source unfamiliar to the rodents who explore these wet shafts. Water leaked through the ceiling of the underground channels, rippling a centimetre above the cobblestoned floor to only be disturbed by the tiny feet of a rat.<p>

A loud silence lingered. The rat paused in its steps lifting its head. It was interrupted by more strange breathing and the rat continued. It sounded sharp and troubled to the beaded eyed rascal who was now listening intently for any sign of danger. A gasp caused the rat's ears to twitch and it sniffed the air registering the familiar smell; Blood.

The shaft the animal was now exploring lead to a door. He continued along his path to find an equal who was also heading towards the door. The doors frame was made of steel, but the base was all wood with a window cut into the very top; sealed with metal bars. In the very corner of the door there was a large crack which was easy access for a rat.

As the two sneaky creatures neared, sniffing the air, the breathing grew louder. Slipping through the gap they entered into the dim light. The room opened up into a large cellar. Rats crept in the darkest of the shadows, all watching the centre of the room where a man kneeled over another; there eyes glowing in the bleak light.

The man stroked the long hair that splayed out over the floor, 'I'm so sorry' he whispered as something wet dripped down from his lips and onto the cold stones. It was thick and dark.

'You should have listened…' he continued leaning over the body '… why could you not obey Master? We could have been one. You and I. One…Together…Forever…' he gripped the body before him, his knuckles turning white and leaned in closer 'But you couldn't see, you couldn't see' his lips brushed against the lifeless skin before his jaw cracked and snapped. He growled and plunged his teeth into the flesh before him; Eyes glowing and empty he ate away the last of the warmth left inside her.

Her. His love. His life. He wanted her to be with him. He wanted her to live with him. But he was no longer living. He no longer needed his life. She did not want him. She would not listen. Refused him. How dare she; how dare she refuse his Queen; his Master.

He wrenched his head back before he went too far into darkness; too far meant no control. Too far was exactly where his Queen wanted him to go. He was afraid; afraid that he will lose himself. But it was what he wanted was it not? It was what his Queen wanted, his Queen who was so strong; so powerful. He wanted to be powerful. He wanted to be strong. The darkness could make him strong. The blood could fuel him. Its power was so overwhelming; not to mention it tasted… it tasted... so good.

Just one more bite… he thought… one more. His jaw snapped and he plunged in again. His eyes began to turn dark; black. Something was wrong. Pain erupted through his skull, his chest, his stomach; everywhere.

"_Reito… "_

He tried to pull away, tried to stop but his thirst, it could not stop growing. He had to finish it; had to suck her dry. His memories didn't matter. His old life it meant nothing.

"_Don't go Reito, I don't like you staying out late, there are bad people out there. Please not tonight. Stay with me, keep me warm"_

His grip tightened as he held her arm, creating bruises on her already dead body while her cold blood ran down his throat.

"_What are you? What have you done with my Reito? You-you monster! Let me go! No! Reito please!"_

"_Be one with me" he had whispered so lovingly, so adoringly to her but… she refused_

"_Never! You've become a monster Reito! How can you not see that… you killed those people last night!" she had screamed trying to fight him with such weak mortal blows_

"_No, you cannot see yet my love; once we are the same… you will see with open eyes"_

He bit down harder as his mind started to fog, he could feel it, the darkness, and it wanted him.

He continued to drink until he felt nothing. Empty. Pulling back he screamed into the night; screamed in agony, in fear, in _rage._ The rats scrambled; squealing as they scattered out the door and down the tunnels.

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><p>.<p>

'_All citizens please return to your houses or seek shelter immediately; it is now twenty minutes before dusk' _repeated the robotic voice throughout the streets of Fuuka. As expected no one stopped or faltered, everyone continued on with their business. Drivers yelled at the faulty traffic lights between Haruno Street and Blossom Drive. People hurried along the footpaths eager for their late night shopping sprees. Some even ran across the streets, dodging vehicles for the sake of their dinner dates in waiting. Others waited patiently for the red little walk man to turn green. Teenagers expertly pressed the buttons on their phones at alarming rates. Businessman coming home and going to late night meetings yapped on their phones and couples snuggled into each other's arms as they headed to Fuuka Theatre. No one paid any mind to the loud speakers stationed every block or so away. The voice continued every sixty seconds and became irritating to some but to most it was just another background noise like the motors of cars and the conversations of others.

Boots hit the pavement in a small secluded alley, heading away from the busy streets. The ground was wet from a leaking drain pipe that continuously dripped in random patterns. The small stream created by the drain ran right along the alley's width and down into the active crowds in the busy street. No one seemed to notice when they stepped into the thin stream of wet; too busy to care. Empty crates sat against the stained brick walls in the alley; one had fallen over and shattered into splintered planks. Small amounts of rubbish had spilled out of the full rubbish bin against the brick wall. The boots halted in their path, stopping at an empty soda can, the right boot rose slowly and then a pop was heard as the empty can flew across the backstreet.

Emerald eyes watched it fly and hit the ground with a clang. Then with a sigh the black leather boots began their journey again. Dark cobalt hair swayed as the individual walked on, her tight black jeans stretched slightly with every step; the denim brushing her skin comfortably. The figure's long black leather coat flapped behind her just touching the back of her knees every so often. When she reached the end of the alley, a large grey concrete wall, she turned to her right.

Natsuki sighed; it had been forty four days and six hours… six weeks and two to three days… an agonising month and a half of… absolutely nothing. Searrs had appointed them to Fuuka City, the quietest and probably the safest place you could find these days. There was absolutely no activity in the area… which just meant boredom for Natsuki but a life for everyone else; everyone else being the normal dull population.

Searrs was very secretive about their background information because they were intrusted with the security and peace between humanity and the blood-seekers. All that really meant was that they would eliminate all threats to humanity; all threats being the blood-seekers.  
>At present, according to Searrs, the newborn population in Fuuka has spiked forcing Natsuki and her team to be assigned to her present location. Of course since they have been here nothing suspicious has occurred at all, no mysterious deaths, no mysterious sightings, not even a whisper; confirming that Fuuka was indeed inactive.<br>They had tried multiple times for Searrs to reappoint them to a job where they could actually make a difference but the organization insisted that Fuuka was the most suspicious and dangerous place of all because of its inactivity. Natsuki still did not understand why they had to appoint one of their best squadrons. Maybe it was because Searrs thought all the other teams had missed something when they had been stationed here.

Surely something should have arisen in the last twelve years? But no, Natsuki's team had searched every record in every police bureau and even all the libraries for a trace of suspicious disappearances or murders but all of them lead to dead ends. Nothing seemed to match the reports Searrs had given the team. Maybe somehow the blood-seekers had found out?

The emerald eyed girl growled softly and shook her thoughts away, her stomach rumbled and she frowned; not looking forward to another TV dinner or takeout box. She couldn't wait until someone responded to Yukino's flier.

The area opened up to an abandoned courtyard hidden by old apartment complexes and a warehouse. Natsuki continued across the court dodging the large cracks for amusement, her stride never faltered as she did so, and it looked almost robotic; she knew if anyone saw her it would have seemed like she was just walking in an area no one dared to walk. This part of Fuuka was long abandoned which meant it was the perfect place to lay low but also the perfect place to find others that were laying low. Of course for Natsuki this was no problem, she was one of the best in her field.

Finally Natsuki came to a halt at an old red building; the paint had long faded and now almost looked rusted and orange. Emerald eyes stared at the wooden door in front of them and then knocked once before waiting five seconds. Natsuki knocked three more times and waited another second before knocking once more. A latch could be heard and the wooden door slid back and off to the right revealing that it was an automatic security entrance.

Natsuki stepped inside; her boots touching the pale blue tiled floor with a soft clomp. The door behind her closed automatically and a beeping sound resonated behind her. The cobalt haired woman found herself in the small hallway, on her right was an open kitchen littered with empty TV dinner trays and takeout boxes. The top of the bench was a dark blue while the cabinets and framework were a creamy white. Attached to the kitchen and hallway sat the living area decorated with a cream carpet and two occupied red coaches that faced each other. In between the sofas lay a glass coffee table covered in old magazines, newspaper clippings and various files and folders. An empty mug sat at its edge as well as en empty abandoned ash tray that had never been used.

"Welcome back" uttered a voice from the living room. Natsuki began to walk forward again and made her way towards her companions. She halted before she reached the carpet and looked to her left where the small dining area sat, one of the chairs were occupied by another one of Natsuki's companions.

The taps and clicks of a keyboard halted and emerald eyes met a pair of reflective glasses "Ah Kuga-san" greeted the individual "How was your walk?" the figure leaned back in her chair, her short brown hair shifting slightly.

Natsuki pulled her lip back and frowned, unconsciously her hands slipped into the pockets of her leather jacket "It was another dead end as always Kikukawa"

A soft laughed echoed through the living room and emerald eyes glared at a slender redheaded individual "What?" uttered the cobalt haired woman trying to meet those bright pale eyes that were fixated on a magazine "What's so funny Nao?"

"Nothing pup" commented the redhead "This situation is just so typical… Searrs has lost their touch" her eyes flicked over to Kikukawa "Are you sure our tech is the latest? I don't think we can even find a healthy human being with the tracking equipment Searrs gave us yet alone a bloodsucker"

"It seems someone has informed them of our presence" interrupted a very even pitched voice. Emerald flickered to the other occupied coach where a blue haired woman sat. Her hair was pale and her eyes almost blank and robotic. She was tall even though she was seated. She wore a black tight leather suit and long black boots to match "Searrs is sending information as we speak"

Everyone watched the robotic girl as her eyes glazed over and began to flicker, "I think this Miyu thing they sent us is better than you Yukino" commented Nao staring at her in astonishment "I didn't know she could do that"

Yukino sighed and pressed her first digit into the middle of her glasses to push them up to the bridge of her nose "Hai, Miyu is the latest in Searrs technology, after the…" she paused and looked at Natsuki meeting her eyes "… Hime incident, they were hoping it would be better to switch to more mechanical means than experimenting on the human genome"

Nao's eyes grew dark as she thought back "…mhm" she hummed "…your mother was an idiot Kuga"

Immediately emerald eyes glared at the redhead angrily "What did you just say?" she demanded taking a defensive stance. Nao looked at her and leaned back on the coach looking at her nails.

"You heard me…" she murmured

"Why don't you say it again and maybe I'll here you more clearly!" snapped Natsuki

Nao got up and faced her now angry that Natsuki got so ticked off "It's the truth Kuga, it was just a comment okay? Don't take it so personally"

"The truth?" snapped Natsuki "The truth is Yuuki that you wouldn't be alive if my mother didn't do what she did!"

"Yes well twelve of us wouldn't be freaks of nature if it wasn't for her either!" screamed Nao preparing for a fight and getting into an offensive position, "We wouldn't be Searrs' little puppets!" she took one step towards Natsuki and noticed that the girl had faltered. Nao straightened herself and eyed the girl strangely.

"…eleven" corrected Natsuki looking down at the ground. Her hands were at her side, clutched into fists, "There are only eleven of us"

Nao flinched knowing she had gone too far, she knew she could push any other subject, Natsuki's mother, Natsuki's childhood and even Natsuki's lingerie obsession, something Nao constantly pointed out for her own enjoyment… but somehow she had slipped up. Somehow she had made a mistake no one would ever want to make again. It was a sensitive subject and no one knew what Natsuki would do. The emerald eyed girl was always so unpredictable when a certain subject came up. Nao knew she could make Natsuki angry at her about anything else but she never ever expected to slip up like_ that._

Yukino felt awkward and wasn't quite sure what to do, she felt bad about bringing up the Hime project since it had led to something no one wanted it to lead too. The girl was so glad when Miyu began to speak, diluting the awkward situation and breaking the horrible atmosphere that was beginning to take place. The robotic voice echoed throughout the apartment uttering random numbers and sequences before beginning to speak in words "_Searrs Headquarters. Target: Club Violet. Information: Suspected Vampiric Activity. Category B and Category D. Succession: Investigate and eliminate all categories on site. Investigation takes priority over elimination. Elimination only advised if discretion is viable. Report all relevant discoveries via M.I.Y.U. Informant: Unavailable. Document End"_

Miyu blinked once and had returned back to normal.

"Finally a mission!" interrupted a new deeper voice. Everyone turned towards this new individual coming out of the entrance to the sleeping quarters. Unlike the others the figure was a male. His hair was blonde and skin tanned, with a well-built body tucked inside a black tailor made suit.

"Glad you could join us Yuuichi" growled Natsuki turning towards him and shoving him to the side. The man looked at her wondering what her problem was. He looked at the others hoping for an explanation but no one gave him one. Nao just turned away with her arms crossed and Yukino just sighed and went back to work on her laptop.

"So when do we start?" he demanded not expecting everyone to just go back to their normal activities

"Once I have the architectural designs of Club Violet" explained Yukino "…and once Miyu and Nao map out an assault plan, which I will of course look over"

"Ah well you guys can do the boring stuff" laughed Tate "I've got a date" he stuck out his chest triumphantly as if he deserved praise or a medal.

"Is that not against Searrs protocol Yuuichi?" murmured Nao as she fell back onto the coach engrossing herself in her magazine "You are supposed to be keeping an eye on _us_…"

Tate looked flustered and a bit like a cornered rat while Nao smirked enjoying the torment she always evoked upon others, "Relax, idiot, you can go" laughed the redhead "Just make sure no one and nothing follows you back"

"Y-yes of course!" he yelled and a few seconds later he was out the door

"That was unlike you Yuuki-san" commented Miyu not quite understanding why the redhead had done it. She herself had thought she was beginning to understand the concept of human emotions.

"He irritates me when he is around" uttered Nao "Besides… when he drinks here he becomes even more perverted and it's hard for me not to kill him"

Natsuki walked into her small room and kicked the small bin next to her desk; scrunched up pieces of paper and an empty soda can fell out and scattered around the room. She slammed her fist against the wall not caring that it made her knuckles red. The wall was a very pale blue almost grey color and was decorated with old articles and newspaper clippings. The articles all had titles about vampire attacks and strange sightings.

A large map was pinned to the far end of the wall and a number of pins were jabbed into certain locations. A thin red string connected the needles and photos sat next to each one. Nothing was really seen in the photos except smudges and shadows in the background.

The impact of Natsuki's fist made the photo frame on her desk fall over. Her emerald eyes locked onto it and she stared at it for a moment unsure of what to do next. Slowly her hand reached down and her fingertips touched it ever so gently.

The wooden frame felt rough and old against the padding of her skin. She slowly picked it up with her right hand and lifted it to her face. Staring at it, her eyes reflected the image and Natsuki's fingers tightened around the frame. Her eyes glued shut and she fought back the urge to scream, her muscles in her face twitching and convulsing.

Quickly she put it back down the same way it fell; placing it so the picture was touching the desks service; unable to be seen.

She hated this… her life was so much easier a few years ago; so much better… It was perfect. Maybe not to the normal population who had normal jobs and normal lives but for someone like Natsuki… it was impeccable, unflawed, seamless and complete.

Now Natsuki felt helpless… guilty… weak… could she really do what she had to when the time came? Yes… she had given her word right? She had promised it to herself and she had promised it to…

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'_All citizens please return to your houses or seek shelter immediately; it is now twenty minutes before dusk' _repeated the robotic voice once again.

It had been two days since confirmation was received from Searrs that they were indeed there for a reason. The team was busy timing their positions to the correct amount of seconds. Nao and Miyu were half an hour away from their target while Tate and his item were busy going to a restaurant for their second date. In exactly four hours they would be at the entrance of Club Violet where Yukino and Natsuki were. The two were right across from Fuuka's most famous club, hidden in a flower shop Searrs had conveniently prepared for them. What happened to the owners was not Yukino or Natsuki's concern. At present the two had the most boring job, well Natsuki thought anyway. They were the ones that were going to be waiting in this tiny two story building for four hours while Tate had a good time with his date and Nao and Miyu went out to watch a movie.

Currently an old fan was blowing in the corner of the room not doing much to cool the room down since all the computers Yukino had set up were already heating up the small room. Natsuki's emerald eyes glanced at the girl in question who had successfully set up her gear in the other corner of the room close to the window but not too close that someone would be able to see her. Five screens sat in front of her; two of which showed the surrounding camera footage of the club. The others showed random text Natsuki was not interested in.

At present there were a lot of people walking the streets since no one really paid attention to the robotic warnings. This was Fuuka the safest town in the world; it was highly protected by Searrs constantly for twelve long years. It had been the centre of all their operations therefore the worst place for blood-seekers to be. Of course no one really knew that Fuuka wasn't the main concern of the organization anymore, but of course it was still closely watched. Searrs wanted to protect their territory and if something were to happen that would make Fuuka unsafe… then people will begin to lose their faith and trust in Searrs.

Natsuki wasn't really concerned about Searrs' overall mission all she cared about was her mission. She had to be alert, had to stay focused. No one was to be hurt again… not like last time…

She closed her eyes blocking out the memory but it was creeping up on her... _No…_ she thought trying to fight it, trying to forget it. But it was there, slipping through the cracks, growing into a mass of horror. It would consume her; break her into tiny frail pieces. No she wouldn't go back there, she couldn't, she had to stay focused or someone would die; again. Just like all those people… those women… those children… her mother… and-

"Kuga-san?"

Natsuki's eyes snapped open and she found Yukino watching her with concern. The smart quiet girl did not know how grateful Natsuki was that she had been brought out of her reverie; and she would never know. Natsuki had made sure a long time ago that she would not show her emotions ever again. Sure she would show anger… but never truly open herself up… never let her weaknesses or attachments get the better of her. Showing her emotions gave away her weaknesses… and bad things happen when your enemies find out your weaknesses.

Yukino looked back at her screens not wanting to upset Natsuki. The smart girl really didn't want to be shot, she had learnt just from watching Nao push things that it was not a good idea to bring up the past. Also, Natsuki didn't like to be ogled by perverts aka Tate. It was concerning though; Natsuki was defiantly unstable… a loose cannon… but so far she has held herself together… a bit.

Yukino wasn't sure what would happen if the past crept up on them; Natsuki's rank worried her. She was a Hime, just like Yukino and Yukino knew how powerful she herself could be. But how powerful was Natsuki?

She remembered Haruka's words well before they left Searrs Headquarters, _'Be careful Yukino that Kuga is slippery; broken. If something happens out there… I have ordered Miyu to protect you with her life. I don't want… I don't want to end up like her I don't want to lose my special person'_

4 hours later

Standing up straight Natsuki peered out the window and ran her eyes over the faces in line at Club Violet. She spotted Tate and his date halfway up the line and watched for anything suspicious. Her fists tightened as she searched for something, anything.

These things… these monsters couldn't get away. Creatures that just take so much pleasure in taking lives shouldn't exist in this world. Every single one of them loved the smell of death. Natsuki hated all of them. They took away what she had loved most… what she had wanted for so long. Someone that meant the world to Natsuki and she would not stop until they all died. First her mother and then… and then… - her eyes closed shut again – She would find them all. Torture them until she heard their screams as she pierced their hearts with a thousand stakes, a thousand bullets, a thousand knives… whatever it took she wanted to hear their pain; for them to feel the pain of others and for them to feel her hatred; her wrath; her _rage._

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><p><em>...<em>

Mai stood outside of the club amongst all the people, some of them strange and some of them just plain crazy. It was the busty orange haired girls second date with Yuuichi-kun. They had met three days ago at the café Mai worked at, she had complained that she wanted to be a great chief but her boss wouldn't let her touch a frying pan so Tate offered her a job. As long as she could actually cook and as long as she gave him one chance to woo her. Mai of course said yes because he was hot and she would take any other job as long as it paid better than the one she had now and as long as she could keep her clothes on of course.

The other day after their first date Yuuichi had taken her back to where he was currently staying. At first Mai thought he was taking her to Fuuka's abandoned district to defile her but once she actually discovered that he worked for Searrs she felt safer and also like a bit of an idiot. The carrot head however did not like the state of the kitchen but she did take a liking to the four girls that Yuuichi was living with. The thought did cross her mind whether or not Yuuichi had four wives but after she met them the answer was quite obvious; no way in hell.

While standing outside waiting Mai and Tate talked about silly things like the odd people that walked by and what it was like inside. Then they got to personal questions and found out they both use to go to the same school; which was a shock to both of them.

"Are you kidding me?" Tate uttered putting his hands in his pockets "I would have noticed someone like you Mai-san – oh I mean Tokiha-san! Gomen!"

Mai laughed "Don't worry about it, you can call me Mai-san as long as I can call you Tate-kun"

He smiled at her and a soft blush crossed his cheeks, it was barely there but Mai noticed it "I'd like that Mai-san"

"So…" smiled Mai closing her eyes for a second "Do you think the others like my cooking?"

"Are you kidding me?" gasped Tate "Did you not hear all their compliments? They expect you to move in by tonight!"

Mai stopped smiling and opened her eyes "Eh? Move in?"

Tate faltered for a moment "Well yeah…" he mumbled scratching the back of his head "Did I not mention that? Since we work with Searrs it would be safer for you to stay with us just in case you are followed"

"Oh…"

"Is something wrong?" questioned Tate

"Well… I have a little brother that I take care of…" mumbled Mai looking down at the ground "I can't just leave him"

Tate touched her shoulder which made Mai meet his eyes "Hey, it's okay Mai I'm sure we can convince my teammates to let your brother stay with us, he will just have to bunk with someone that's all"

"_It will be with you Yuuichi" snapped Nao "That way nothing perverted will be going on in your room. Well nothing MORE perverted"_

The orange headed girl's face lit up "Really? Are you sure?"

"Of course" smiled Tate glad he had cheered the beautiful girl up. His lips twitched a little bit at Nao's comment in his ear.

Natsuki sighed as she walked across the road to the club. She wore a large coat over her tight suit hoping that the men at the entrance would not ask to look under it to make sure she was wearing a dress. If they did then they would find a number of knives, metal stakes and bullets dipped in holy water. She slipped into the line unnoticed and was engulfed in the crowd, stuck between two large groups. The people around her brushed and pressed against her by accident and she tried to scare them away with her deathly stare but unfortunately they were too occupied to notice.

"_Be careful pup" uttered Nao "I'm in the alley next door, so if anything happens I'll be there in two seconds"_

Natsuki pressed her earpiece in, shifting it so it was more comfortable for her _"Hai Spider" _she said softly

"_I thought we weren't sending anyone in except Yuuichi" commented Miyu_

"_Mutt is just stacking out down below in the crowd" replied Nao "Besides she fits in"_

Natsuki found herself just behind Tate who locked eyes with her for a second. He acknowledged her with a slight nod and Natsuki did the same making sure their new cook didn't notice her. She guessed that Tate didn't tell her she was in the midst of a stake out. The line began to move and Natsuki allowed others to go in front of her as slyly as possible. She had no intention of going inside.

After an hour in line Mai and Tate finally got inside and were hit by bright flashing lights and loud rave music. Most of the club was on the dance floor as one, arms high in the air rubbing against each other as they let loose. Tate grabbed Mai's hand and led her to the bar where they ordered two drinks.

"_Don't forget what you are here to do Yuuichi" uttered the husky voice darkly_

Tate shook his head at Natsuki trying not to stop listening to what Mai was saying. They soon ordered another drink, followed by another and another. Soon Mai was getting tipsy and Tate realised the orange haired girl could not hold her alcohol.

"Another!" screamed Mai hitting her empty glass onto the bars surface

"Ah Mai-san maybe you should stop" suggested Tate only to be met by a seedy smile and Mai's finger poking him hard in the chest

"Eh? I thought you would want to get a girl drunk Tate-kun!" she laughed "You surprise me every year"

Tate blushed ignoring the last word and his eyes widened at the giant glass that appeared before Mai filled with alcohol. After about three of those Tate finally convinced Mai to leave the alcohol alone and go with him to find somewhere more quiet so she could rest.

'_Pervert' Nao commented 'You just want to get under her dress'_

Tate looked around trying to find somewhere they could go where Mai wouldn't make a scene. His cover was going to be blown if they got kicked out and he really didn't want to mess this up. Ignoring Nao's constant comments in his ear, his eyes squinted across the room and found a security guard. He pulled Mai through the crowd, making his way to the large man. The music was even louder when he reached him so Tate had no choice but to scream at the top of his lungs "Hey do you guys have any private booths left upstairs?" he yelled over the loud music struggling to hold Mai up right and close to him. The carrot head tried to swipe any glasses of alcohol from passer-by's.

The security guard eyed him, running his eyes over both Mai and Tate; "I'll check!" he yelled and walked through a backdoor hidden behind his large body. Tate heard a high pitched noise in his ear and winced as it grew louder. He yanked out his earpiece and glared at it putting it in his pocket for the moment. He reminded himself to put it back on when they got into a booth. Five minutes later the guard returned and ushered them inside.

"Just go straight and take the last left, go up the stairs and pick any room that is open" explained the guard before he left them. Tate heard the loud music outside as the guard opened up the door again. It disappeared immediately signalling that the man had left.

Tate dragged Mai along and stopped at the stairs, his face was one of defeat when he realised this was going to be difficult; it would probably be easier to get the girl down the stairs… but up? This was going to be fun.

Tate finally fell down onto the sofa inside the private room. Mai lay on the other side now passed out and murmuring strange things. On Tate's left the wall was made out of glass allowing anyone inside the booth to see the dancers down below. It was obviously expertly tinted however because Tate did not even know it had been glass from down at the bar. The room was a dark pink colour with purple neon lights around the edge of the ceiling and carpet. A small black table sat in the centre of the booth with a bottle of wine inside a glass vase. Four glasses also sat next to the vase.

"Bonus" smiled Tate picking up the bottle "I can't believe they give you a free bottle of wine up here and it costs so much downstairs!"

The blonde man popped the cork and smiled at Mai "One last drink wouldn't hurt" but the girl just groaned at him and he chuckled. His strong hands reached out and grabbed the fancy looking wine glasses. For a moment he wondered how much they were; they looked really expensive to be just left here for anyone to use. What if someone was really off the edge? Shaking his head he tilted the bottle to the side. His eyebrows knitted together in a frown as the wine came out slowly. Something didn't seem right. The security guard seemed to come to Tate's mind and how he had looked Mai over… how he had taken so long to find them a room when it would have only taken a minute to get up here by himself… not to mention wouldn't the guy know how many people had gone up? How many rooms there were and how many rooms were occupied?

Tate lifted the thick red wine to his lips as he thought about security guy, not really paying attention to the drink he was about to put into his mouth. He tasted a strange metallic flavour…

Natsuki was still outside glaring at particular individuals who seemed to eye her strangely. She could hear the loud music inside the club and she wondered how these people could even stand it. If the emerald eyed girl had spent as much time in clubs as she did hunting down vampires she would most certainly be deaf. Her eyes caught sight of two girls walking pass her laughing.

"Onee-chan! Don't tease me like that! You know this is my first time...!" whined the shorter girl

"Don't worry, don't worry I'm sure no seedy old guy is going to grind against you" laughed the other "Maybe it will be a seedy lady..."

"D-don't say such things!" blushed the short girl before they got mixed up in the thicker part of the line.

Natsuki looked at her boots, her eyes wavering as she almost gave in to her memories. Her eyelids closed as she fought against it and she swallowed loudly. Finally when she controlled herself she looked around again for anything suspicious. It had been a while since she encountered a vampire... and she hoped that it would only be a bunch of newborns. At least they would look like regular people and not like those things in Natsuki's nightmares... those blood-cravers. Monsters was what they were... newborns or Sires that would initiate the first bite and drink until their victim had absolutley no moisture left in their body. They would drink too much blood... almost like an overdose... and change in strange ugly creatures unable to control their thirst. Those were the people that always looked so shriveled and old when Natsuki entered a crime scene.

She sighed before her eyes caught sight of something she never expected.

A black 300c Chrysler pulled up in front of the club. It was sleek and impossibly clean. The dim light from the street reflected off its surface and seemed to make it sparkle and whisper - no scream - money. The driver stepped out in a sleek suit. It was made up of long black pants, a black blazer and vest, as well as a white buttoned up shirt with a bow at its collar. He was tall, thin and swift as he walked towards the backdoor and pulled it open. His dark hair was jelled back and spiked and the expression on his face was like that of a poker player...cool and unmoving. His dark eyes looked up to meet Natsuki's.

The emerald eyed girl new exactly what he was as their eyes met.

It felt like slow motion for her; like everything else in the world had stopped and she was staring into the end… the dark agonising end. The dark one's eyes moved out of view as his face was obscured by another.

Someone Natsuki would drown in… someone that knew Natsuki's every move, Natsuki's every thought and Natsuki's greatest weakness.

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><p><strong>End!<strong>

I hope you guys enjoyed it :S  
>It's a bit sketchy, I probably have to fix up a few bits later on. Is it interesting enough though? Please review. Does it seem too rushed? Too boring? Good? Bad? Ugly?<p>

Next chapter will be up soon! Your reviews shall fuel me! :D


	2. The Animal

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mai Hime or the characters! Sunrise does! This is purely a fanfic in appreciation for these amazing characters that many have fallen in love with.

**Summary:** Watching the one you love die because of you is probably the worst burden you can obtain throughout this life. Well… hunting them down afterwards to stop mass murders and bloodshed is a whole other story…

Really hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Sorry for any mistakes

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Chapter 2

**The Animal You Have Become**

By GrimaThanEvil

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_Chestnut locks gracefully swayed as soft silent feet stepped out onto the pavement…_

Time stood still. Natsuki could no longer hear the loud music from inside the club; she could no longer hear the voices around her; her own pulse did not even make a sound as a figure stepped out from the back of the Chrysler. Natsuki knew, Natsuki felt it, that presence… those silky chestnut locks… that graceful glide, it was _her_…

"_Shi…zuru…"_ whispered Natsuki her emerald eyes quivering

The individual's head slowly began to turn and Natsuki ducked behind a tall man. Her heart was beating so hard, she had almost been caught, and she had almost met that crimson gaze… almost been lost, drowned, obliterated, hypnotised and swallowed into darkness.  
>She couldn't allow herself to move, if she moved she would look and that creature might still be there… that creature that had stolen <em>her. <em>

Natsuki closed her eyes trying to still her rapid heartbeat. Her fists closed and opened constantly and she bit her lip. _It's not her, not her…_

She took a deep breath and let it out.

After five minutes she dared to move; dared to look.

The Chrysler was gone and everything looked the same as it did ten minutes ago. But she felt vulnerable, like everyone around her was an enemy. She could not make out their faces anymore, they were just black smudges that made her feel so defenceless; anyone of them could bite into her right now and she would be an easy kill. The emerald eyed girl leaned against the wall behind her… was this an illusion?

She began to sink to the ground and clutched her chest. _Not her…_ she told herself but it was too much and before she knew it she was hit with past memories… memories that she wanted to forget… memories that would get in the way of her pursuit…

"_That poor girl" said the whispers_

"_I feel so bad for her" they spoke quietly in the hopes that Natsuki would not hear them but the emerald eyed girl could hear them loud and clear. Her empty eyes stared at the two fish inside the garden pond. She was sitting on the small porch outside her small legs unable to reach the ground. The sky was a bright blue and the sun was peacefully warm... it would have been a perfect day... but the light from the day and singing birds were not enough for Natsuki to be happy._

"_She has been sitting out there for two days straight now" said another voice "Hasn't uttered a sound ever since…" they paused struggling to speak the next word "…S-Saeko-san did not return"_

_Natsuki's pale empty eyes flickered at that familiar name, but she still sat there hoping that this nightmare would end_

"_How could this happen?" spoke the whispers "I thought Searrs had security in that region…"_

"_They do" explained the voice "…it turns out they had to respond to a nearby attack… but I think someone on the inside gave away too much information about their location-"_

"_Hush… we shouldn't speak about this here"_

_Natsuki was in a small pale blue kimono that sat snug on her small body… she hated kimonos… but her mother always loved it when Natsuki wore one. _

_The emerald eyed girl was hoping that if she wore it maybe her mother would come back. Maybe she would hug Natsuki again… just once more so Natsuki could hear her voice, smell her scent… see her smile; that way she could take it all in and never forget it. But Natsuki knew that was just hopeful thinking. _

_She began to focus back on the two fish spiralling in the pond; the clear water rippled in the soft breeze. Brown and creamy pebbles lay at the bottom of the pond, pushed aside by the natural flora beneath the water. _

_This garden was one of Natsuki's best memories of her mother. _

_Natsuki's mother would always make sure the garden was in crisp condition and Natsuki would always help by feeding the fish._

_The emerald eyed girl put one of her small hands on top of the other indulging in her own warm contact. It was all she was going to feel from now on. What would she do now without her mother? Where will she go? Was she going to live with the housekeeper for the rest of her life? _

_Footsteps hitting the pale wood made the small girl's ears twitch for a moment; she ignored it; too numb to care. If it was another one of her mother's acquaintances who wanted to leave their condolences they could go speak to the housekeeper. _

_A soft and warm voice interrupted Natsuki's peaceful but haunting silence._

"_Hello" the voice spoke, its warmth penetrated Natsuki's cold barrier in an instant, "May I join you?"_

_Natsuki just nodded and she felt a body sit down on her left; an arm brushed against her kimono before the individual finally settled herself. _

_Natsuki noticed that their feet hit the ground and she suddenly wished she was taller. _

_Silence lingered before the emerald eyed girl was hit with a delicious smell and she realised it was from the teenager sitting next to her. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted chestnut locks and what seemed like a dark grey school uniform with a red tie. _

_The individual sighed next to Natsuki and leaned forward to try and catch her attention "You must be Kuga Natsuki neh? My name is Fujino Shizuru" she explained "My family will be taking care of you from now on, I have been assigned to protect you, it is my first real assignment… but I promise to try my best okay?"_

_Natsuki stayed quiet, she just felt so numb. Nothing could interupt her constant daydreaming of her mother and the last time she had seen her. Natsuki's mum had promised that she would make Natsuki's favourite desert when she returned; but only if Natsuki tried to stay up until eleven o'clock. _

_Of course mother always knew that she would never last pass nine o'clock. _

_But that night Natsuki waited… Natsuki would never give up when her mayo desert was on the line. She waited… and waited… until she fell asleep at eleven fourteen and told herself; when mother came home she would never actually believe the emerald eyed girl had did it! _

_But Natsuki's mother never came home... that was the problem_

"_Ara… Natsuki is drooling"_

_The smaller girl's thoughts were interrupted again by that strange voice and she i__mmediately put her hand up to her mouth only to hear laughter beside her. _

_She turned to glare at this girl only to be captured by a deep shade of brown eyes that were almost a red pigment._

"_That's better" commented this strange and intrusive Shizuru girl "It's good to have eye contact when you are having a conversation"_

"… _You are the only one talking" murmured Natsuki turning her head back towards the garden "…baka" she whispered_

_The chestnut haired girl just smiled at Natsuki and leaned closer to her "Ara but Natsuki is talking is she not?"_

_Natsuki's numbness began to fade and she began to feel certain emotions again, one particular feeling stuck out the most; annoyance. This girl thought she was so smart just because she was taller and older than Natsuki._

"_Who said you could call me Natsuki…" murmured the cobalt haired girl_

"_Ikezu!" gasped the chestnut haired girl "I thought Natsuki and I would be best friends from now on!"_

"_I don't need any friends…" mumbled the girl with a frown, her dark blue eyebrows twitching_

"_So… Natsuki does not want me as a friend?" whispered this Shizuru girl "…am I too ugly?"_

_Then Natsuki's heart contracted as the sudden sound of subbing hit her like a brick wall. Her emerald eyes widened and she turned towards this stranger baffled that she was actually crying. Actually crying! This was Natsuki's time to mourn! How could she be sad about something so simple? Something to irrelevant! _

_This Shizuru girl was crazy! The young Natsuki had to think fast or else her mother's acquaintances might come running thinking Natsuki was finally letting it all out… she couldn't have that… she wasn't weak! She was strong _

"_What are you doing?" she questioned only to be hit with louder crying sounds "Ah! Okay I will be your friend!"_

_The two hands covering this Shizuru girl's face moved away and Natsuki realised she was tricked._

"_Ookini Na-tsu-ki!"_

_The emerald eyed girl blushed "Don't say my name like that!" she demanded before adding a soft "…baka" at the end and returning to her original position; facing the pond._

_Later..._

_Six months had passed and Natsuki had settled into this strange traditional estate Shizuru claimed was her home. It looked more like the buildings in the samurai movies Natsuki had always watched. The emerald eyed girl had spent most of her time in her room… her room which was now decorated with plush toys… pink and purple cushions and tea sets… things Natsuki never wanted. She regretted not answering that Shizuru girls questions when she first arrived._

"_What does Na-tsu-ki like?" she had asked, Natsuki had just shrugged at her claiming that she didn't need anything and she didn't really like anything except her two fish, which were now settled into the 'Fujino's garden pond'._

_Now here she was, still small and short in her pink and purple room staring at a fluffy bunny rabbit who was definitely taunting her. Its beady eyes seemed to penetrate her every move and its fluffy exterior seemed too perfect and soft … yes definitely taunting her._

"_Ara what is Natsuki-chan doing?"_

_The emerald eyed girl swiftly stood at attention with a blush on her cheeks "N-nothing!"_

_Her eyes locked with Shizuru's who was now standing in her doorway wearing her school uniform; a short black skirt and long white socks with brown shoes and a black and white blazer with a small red tie. The clothes sat neatly on her slender, tall body. The older girl's head tilted to the side and r__uby eyes seemed to soften._

_Natsuki's eyes snapped to what was in Shizuru's arms. It was long and wrapped in cloth. Longer than even Shizuru which meant it was much bigger than Natsuki._

"_What is that?" questioned Natsuki_

"_Oh" Shizuru shifted it in her arm and glanced at the material "… it is not Natsuki's concern"_

"_Eh? Come on Shizuru tell me!"_

"_It is my naginata" explained the ruby eyed girl reluctantly "I have to practice soon, would Natsuki like to join me?"_

_Natsuki's green eyes were glued to the figure in the center of the room. Shizuru moved swiftly and oh so elegantly Natsuki couldn't look away. The emerald eyed girl was sitting cross-legged a few meters from the wall on the wooden floor. She wore white socks and black trousers with a simple black and grey striped t-shirt. Her hands held her feet as she leaned forward watching the teenager in the room intensely while her dark hair fell loosely down her back and around her astonished face. The weapon in the kyoto-born's arms seemed so light and so easy to use with every stroke. It made strange arcs and sharp slices wherever Shizuru wanted it to go. _

_The older girl was swinging her weapon inside the training dojo located inside Fujino estate. The teenager was so elegant and smooth as she swinged, curved and sliced at the air. Her feet seemed to dance on the wooden floor boards capturing Natsuki's attention. Those green eyes tried to find a pattern in the way Shizuru seemed to move but it was hard to keep track of the chestnut haired girl's footing; it was simply to fast and too agile. Only when Shizuru stopped moving for about five seconds did Natsuki realise her eyes were actually staring at feet that weren't going anywhere._

_Emerald eyes slowly looked up the sweating form and meet dark ruby. As soon as Natsuki made eye contact with those eyes she blushed. Shizuru was watching her so intensely; as if caught doing something she shouldn't Shizuru's expression completely changed and Natsuki was hit with a smile._

"_Do you want to try?"_

_Natsuki blinked trying to register what Shizuru had just said, she nodded and soon found herself holding her own naginata, it did not look as fancy as Shizuru's, in fact Natsuki realised its end was just made out of wood and was not even sharp! This made her feel feeble and ineffective. _

_She swallowed as Shizuru came towards her holding her shiny and polished weapon so easily in one hand. Natsuki was struggling of course. Currently she was holding the weapon horizontal to the floorboards beneath her feet. The emerald eyed girl was not quite sure how to use it. _

_She met Shizuru's gaze, the chestnut haired teen had that same smile on her face_

"_Here" uttered Shizuru and before Natsuki knew it the beautiful teen was behind her. _

_Arms snaked along her arms and soft hands cupped Natsuki's own. The emerald eyed girl allowed Shizuru to reposition her body and arms making Natsuki feel like a human puppet. Suddenly Shizuru moved against Natsuki and the green eyed girl found herself in a striking position. Again Shizuru moved and again Natsuki had been moved. The cobalt haired girl's face was bright red as Shizuru continued to do this. When the chestnut haired teen moved away Natsuki found herself lost._

"_Now" smiled Shizuru picking up her naginata and placing it on the material it had been wrapped in. Next to it was another practice weapon just like Natsuki's. Shizuru picked it up and faced the emerald eyed girl "Strike me Natsuki" _

_Both girls pointed the tips of the weapons towards each other and stood there silently. Emerald eyes looked straight into crimson; waiting. A long silence lingered between them, both girls waiting for the other to move or let their guard down._

_The end of Natsuki's naginata barely shifted to the left; a clang was heard as the small girl's weapon was now on the ground with Shizuru's now at Natsuki's throat._

_Natsuki's shoulders sunk and Shizuru moved away eyeing the young girl "Natsuki?" the emerald eyed girl turned away and began to wipe her eyes; her shoulders started to shake "Natsuki what is wrong?" questioned Shizuru_

"_I'm so weak" whimpered the small girl "I wanted to be strong; I trained every day since…" she swallowed "...I just…"_

_Shizuru's expression softened to one of understanding "It is okay Natsuki, you will beat me next time"_

_The emerald eyed girl swerved around angrily "There is no next time with an enemy!" she yelled "If there was mother would be here with me but… she isn't and-!_

_Natsuki fell silent as she was hit by Shizuru's scent. The taller girl had enveloped her in a hug. Her arms wrapped around Natsuki's shoulders firmly and the cobalt haired girl melted into the embrace gratefully. It had been so long since she had felt the comfort of another. So long since someone had touched her so warmly._

"_Natsuki should not say such things" whispered Shizuru "… I am here to protect her... she should enjoy her innocence while it lasts"_

"_Natuski?"_

"_Natsuki?"_

"_Natsuki?"_

Natsuki blinked and saw that Nao was hovering over her with Miyu in the background. The emerald eyed girl watched Nao's mouth move and stared at her lips, she met her eyes and noticed Nao's arm was extended. Was she touching her shoulder? Natsuki couldn't feel it; Natsuki couldn't feel anything around her exterior. It had been so long, so long since she had encountered that creature that she hadn't quite been prepared. Searrs had said it was category B and category D. That meant a Sire and just newborns… right? Not her… it couldn't have been her… she was something else entirely…

Slowly Nao's voice reached her, she could hear something anyway… it was like a whisper, a whisper that would bring her back to reality, it was definitely Nao that was pulling her back; it was always Nao. Her companion's constant comments and harsh words always made Natsuki come too. The cobalt haired girl always acted like she hated the redhead but secretly Nao had weaved her way into Natsuki's heart. It was the same for Nao; they both understood what it was like to lose someone important and why they both acted the way they did sometimes.

The whisper became louder and Natsuki's ears began to work again.

"…_and that's what happened to your limited edition Victoria's secret lingerie…"_

Natsuki didn't quite here what Nao said but she would beat her up about it later. She was more interested in what Miyu said "I cannot reach Yuuichi or Tokiha-san" the cyborg commented

Nao's head turned around and looked at Miyu inwardly cursing. The redhead made eye contact with one of the men in line and glared at him, telling him to mind his own business as he seemed to be watching their whole interaction.  
>Nao's hand reached up to her ear and she shifted her earpiece <em>"Oi Yuuichi you pervert, you better not be losing your virginity right now… because we have deep shit going on right now!"<em> yelled Nao angrily, she was only getting static, "Damn it, I knew we should not have sent him in there!"

"_Yuuki-san the last time we reached Yuuichi he was going to find a private booth" _explained Yukino_ "We have no choice but to proceed. Yuuki-san will enter Club Violet and Miyu will bring Natsuki back to the flower shop, then return and meet you at the bar, both of you will continue together from there"_

"_Hai" _agreed Miyu

"_Yeah… one problem…" _Nao murmured and pointed to where an emerald eyed girl should be sitting right now.

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><p>...<p>

A long moment passed and Natsuki was deep in thought and resolve. She had to end this cat and mouse game once and for all. It was what she had promised so long ago… she was not going to back down now. The old Shizuru was gone… the kind… warm… and smiling Shizuru… died a long time ago. The only thing left of her was the memories…. Natsuki wished she could just drown in those memories… she could live like that… forever dreaming of when she first met Shizuru, when she first felt Shizuru touch her hand in the dojo, when Shizuru first touched Natsuki's hand for no reason but to hold it…

The emerald eyed girl got up while Nao and Miyu seemed distracted and made her way to the front of the line, people around her cursed and tried to stop her but she ignored them only to be stopped by security. The guard attempted to grab Natsuki's arm but the biker got to him first; clutching his wrist tightly. The man yowled as his arm became cold where Natsuki gripped him. The girl threw him aside and glared at the other guard who stepped aside politely.

Natsuki went into Club Violet and found herself in another world. She ignored the loud music and flashing lights scanning around to find what she was looking for, who she was looking for. Her heart was beating so fast, at any moment she could find what she was trying to sniff out. She felt vulnerable even though she was in such a crowded place. All she saw was the mass of people dancing and pressing up against each other under the pink and purple lighting. No one inside seemed to know that anything had gone on outside which made it easier for Natsuki since she didn't need to run from anyone.

Immediately the green eyed girl weaved through the crowd towards what she hoped was where Tate had gone. No guard was at the door so she slipped through unnoticed.

She found herself moving through the hallway unsure of which exit to take. She decided to go right and ended up going down a spiral set of staircases. It went two floors underground and once she reached its end she was hit with another series of tunnels. She growled angrily and took the first left only to come to a quick stop at an old door. Natsuki grabbed the handle but it was locked. She released her grip and then placed her hand just between the doorknob and the wall where the latch sat. The door grew cold and she stood back before swinging her leg towards it. Her leather boot hit the exact spot where her hand had previously sat and the door gave way.

Unfortunately for this emerald eyed biker she was now hit with twelve identical doors and another staircase leading up. Cursing inwardly she stepped into this new hallway and peered into the rooms. They were all dark and it was impossible to see where they led or if they led anywhere. Natsuki decided to go with the stairs. When she neared the top she heard footsteps. Her eyes narrowed and she reached inside her jacket to pull out two strange pistols. The footsteps grew louder and Natsuki could tell that someone was in a hurry.

A smudge appeared in the darkness and a young lady ran out into the dim lighting where Natsuki was and stumbled down the steps. Her face was wet and the flesh on her knees had been grated away from her fall. Blood covered her body and her neck and her limbs were decorated with puncture wounds Natsuki knew too well. The emerald eyed girl immediately went to her aid; the woman screamed and tried to crawl away from Natsuki, eyes wide and insane.

"It is okay" explained Natsuki "I am here to help" she reached out her hand only to have it slapped away. The cobalt haired girl took a few steps back and stared at the woman.

"Y-you can't help m-me" she uttered clutching her head "T-they are coming… they took them… all of them…"

Suddenly something was on top of the woman, growling, hissing, wheezing and then a crunch as it penetrated her flesh. The creature's dark body latched onto its victim frantically, desperately trying to eat away at her. The body dropped limp and there was a click of a pistol. The monster's head snapped up and stared at Natsuki, its eyes were bloodshot and yellow, the pupil blood red instead of black. Blood covered its jagged teeth and mouth as it snarled at Natsuki. Its arms and legs were abnormally stretched and bony. The girl pulled the trigger without a second thought.

"Category C – Blood-craver" uttered Natsuki wondering how no one had sighted any of them. They were the crazed vampires, that couldn't resist a human even if they were two miles away… only an extremely powerful Sire could even hope to control them. Did someone lock them here in the cellar? Impossible… unless that door Natsuki came through was lined with silver… or blessed by a priest… but what priest would do such a thing?

Natsuki had no time to think, she had to get out of here, no one knew where she was and she had turned her earpiece off before she even entered the club. Who knew how many blood-cravers were down here… who knew how many innocent people were down here… but Natsuki couldn't think about that right now. They were probably as crazed as that woman and would live the rest of their lives insane. She was going against protocol of course, but without backup protocol didn't really concern her. She had to complete her own mission… she had to find her…

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Bright purple and pink lights flashed within the private booth. Mai groaned; one arm on her forehead while she lay on the coach unsure of what was going on. She blinked trying to shake off her heavy eyelids and foggy brain. She could just hear the music from downstairs and the movement of her date on the other side of the room. She heard a cork pop and liquid hit an empty glass before she faded into darkness.

Tate lifted the thick red wine to his lips as he thought about security guy, not really paying attention to the drink he was about to put into his mouth. He tasted a strange metallic flavour…

Tate gagged and spat out the disgusting thick substance and rubbed his tongue with his sleeve. At the same time he dropped the glass to the ground and spilled the contents onto the carpet; staining it red. His eyes widened and he stared at the wine… well what he had thought was wine…

"B-blood?" he gulped and observed the liquid inside the bottle, lifting it up into the light "It's watered down…" it wasn't as thick as blood normally was. Immediately he felt so stupid, he had made almost every mistake in the book! It had been a mistake bringing Mai along to this!

Searrs was going to have his head in! He was new to this unit and was supposed to be the one keeping an eye on the Himes in case they decided to go astray. All his associates at Searrs would be laughing at him right now if they knew what an idiot he became.

Tate had done all the theory, passed every written examination with a perfect score; he even passed all the physical tests with little to no effort. But it was in the field where it all really mattered… how he would react… what he would do… so far he had done absolutely nothing! He had just been living out his normal routine of having a good time with friends and going on dates. He had never even encountered a blood-seeker before. Being stationed at Fuuka just gave him an excuse to be lazy!

Now Tate was reacting to the situation as calmly as he could. His eyes flicked around the room making sure he had not missed anything. This wine was here for a reason… and that reason could only mean this room was reserved for a blood-

"Ara…" uttered the voice hitting Tate's ears like a knife through butter "…more second-rate drinks? Masashi-kun I thought I said I liked my drinks _fresh_ and _authentic_?"

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Tate sat on the black leather sofa in absolute shock, his eyes were looking down at his hands which were now on his knees; he had to struggle to keep them from shaking as three creatures of the night walked in and took a seat. His eyes flicked to the opposite end of the room where the pale female took a seat right next to Mai superior to the orange haired girl's head. Tate didn't dare look up to meet the bloodsuckers face already feeling that her red gaze was on him and her lips were slightly curved upwards. Another one sat right next to Tate and he flinched as her hand touched his neck, her fingers stroking his hair sadistically. She didn't make a sound when he did so but the blonde man could feel her gaze penetrating the side of his neck. The third vampire, the male, just stood next to the sofa opposite Tate but closer to the door.

"Hmmm…." Hummed the woman - no the _thing_ - next to Tate as her fingers attempted to curl through his hair "…this is quite a nice surprise my lady… I am rather parched"

"I did not expect it myself" commented the monster next to Mai as she crossed her legs and leant back into the leather seat "Ara ara…this place was quite the investment Anh"

"Indeed it was" agreed the creature now sliding a little bit closer to Tate "I am most grateful that you had suggested it to me" she turned her attention back to Tate "Now tell me… who might you be?"

Tate jerked his head to the side as she stroked a finger along his neck and the creature laughed "Quote raw aren't you?" and suddenly Tate's head was pressed against the sofa at an immense pressure; strong fingers gripped his neck and Anh's body was on top of him "I shall enjoy drinking you" her lips brushed against Tate's ear as she struggled to hold back her bite; it was the best part after all; that first contact… that first rush of blood… that delicious flavour that would explode inside Anh's mouth.

Tate's mouth curved into a smile "Go ahead" he uttered and the creature prepared to sink her teeth into his flesh.

"Delay your appetite for a moment Anh" interrupted the accented voice and Anh's head turned to look at the crimson eyed creature on the opposite end of the room "Not to sound frugal but I would appreciate it if you checked his pockets"

Anh slipped her hand onto Tate's chest and watched him grimace as she traced her fingers across his ribs and into his hidden pockets; her hand made contact with something and she pulled it out. It was his I.D. The creature flipped it open and leapt off of Tate hissing and baring her fangs at him.

"_Searrs_" she growled saying the name with such distaste in her mouth "_Tate Yuuichi"_

"If he is an operative of Searrs it means his blood is infected" uttered the vampire across the room, her crimson eyes met Tate's for the first time and they were frightening and oh so animalistic it scared him. It was like she could see right through him and if he looked for too long he would be captured and imprisoned "Unless he is a Hime… " her eyes looked him up and down "…but he appears to be male on the exterior"

Anh chuckled

"What should we do with him Fujino-sama?" asked the male creature for the first time

The woman stared at Tate and he had no idea what she could possibly be thinking until she spoke "Unfortunately his blood has been tainted… he is useless to us" she sighed "You may do what you want with him Masashi-kun"

Tate watched as the woman's fingers traced along Mai's arm. He cursed inwardly and scrunched up his face in anger. Crimson eyes watched him and seemed to dance with amusement.

"We will keep the girl… I can smell how ripe she is just from her exterior"

"D-don't touch her!" screamed Tate standing up immediately. None of the creatures seemed to move; they just watched him intently – those crimson eyes were the most unnerving since they seemed to be pleased by his reaction.

The fingers traced back up to Mai's shoulder and onto her neck slowly; so slowly that it tortured Tate's entire body. He was waiting for the creature to do something like snap her neck or even bite into her… Mai looked so weak and feeble next to such a dark demon. The red eyed female retracted her all her fingers except one. She pressed down with her nail and cracked the skin so easily. Blood immediately trickled out and Tate's eyes widened as the animal lifted up her digit and slipped it into her mouth.

Tate couldn't take this "Stop it!" he growled

"Ara… what will you give me Tate-kun?"

Tate flinched at the informal use of his name and watched as the creature looked at his I.D.

He immediately noticed those eyes narrow

"Tate Yuuichi… of Team Bravo" murmured the demon before piercing him with those red eyes "Where is the rest of your unit?"

The creature stood up and the next thing Tate knew he was slammed against the wall. He heard a crunching sound and felt the wall slightly give way behind him while those eyes glared at him; filled with _anger _and _rage_.

"_I will ask you one question and you __**will**__ answer it!" _she hissed and bared her fangs at him, the way she spoke and the way she gripped him was so alarming Tate's entire body was hit with rapid chills

"_Where. Is. Natsuki?"_

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><p><em>...<em>

(A few floors below you Shizuru!)

Ah sorry guys I couldn't resist! Please don't kill me! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak! I am just being forced to study for bioscience because the lectures are painful without study so I got to be prepared and know my stuff! (P.s I am much better at science than I am at gramma and sentence structures… I think)

The sequence of events might be a little off but they all relatively happen around the same time!

I was actually planning to end the chapter at the first Ara but I thought that would have been a bit too cruel!

**Note:** Flashback; Shizuru is 15 and Natsuki is 12.

**Note:** Mai is not a Hime in this fic and the concept of Himes in this fic will be explained next chapter

Please hit me with questions in the reviews! If I have made a major mistake (highly likely) in the story line I will attempt to fix it or will be planning to explain it later

Also do any of you think the switching between scenes is happening too much? aka the page breaker/horizontal line?

**SO! Like it? Hate it? Review it!**

**Thanks so much guys!**


	3. One Last Goodnight

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai Hime or the characters! Sunrise does! This is purely a fanfic in appreciation for these amazing characters that many have fallen in love with.

Summary: Watching the one you love die because of you is probably the worst burden you can obtain throughout this life. Well… hunting them down afterwards to stop mass murders and bloodshed is a whole other story…

Warning: Yuri

Prepare for SHIZNAT my minions!

This chapter is extra-long just for you guys! But I think a bit too much happens…

Thanks for all the amazing reviews! They simply raised my spirits and allowed me to keep writing! So really big shout out to all you guys who reviewed! And all you guys who have been reading!

Thanks so much and enjoy!

P.S I did not actually spell check this... so I apologize in advance

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Chapter 3

Just Yesterday Part 1

**One Last Goodnight**

By GrimaThanEvil

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It was just yesterday when we first began to fall in love…

And it was just yesterday when I began to lose you…

...

_Three years ago_

The ticking of a fan was the only sound resonating from the gloomy room. It spun round and round casting rapid and subtle shadows along the now pale blue walls. A single bed rested against the left wall, its sheets wrinkled, unmade and scrunched at the bed's end; one of the pillows lay on the light cream carpet while the other sat in its correct position at the bed's headboard. A circular dark blue and black rug sat in the centre of the room right below the spinning fan. Directly opposite the single bed sat a grey desk, its chair occupied, and surface covered in unused books and overused sheets of paper. Posters covered the newly painted blue walls and filled up cardboard boxes sat in the far corner filled with old plush toys and bright purple and pink objects its owner had never had a use for.

Outside the sun was beginning to set and the chirping of birds increased overhead as the animals made their way back to their nests. An exhale joined the ticking sounds inside the room as Natsuki spun sixty degrees in her chair, stopping as her left converse touched the side of her desk's leg. She currently wore her usual denim skinny jeans and white loose singlet with strange black patterns in its centre. The girl slipped her foot back so she could continue her spin feeling her jeans rub and tighten around her legs; she now faced the rest of her room and her bed. Her emerald eyes swept over its contents; the messy bed, the motorbike posters on her wall, the carpet, the rug, the socks and clothing on the floor… it was all hers now. The very essence of the room seemed to reflect her very aura. Nevertheless something did not feel right about this new environment. Of course it had been what she had always wanted ever since she moved into the Fujino Estate.

Finally at the age of eighteen Natsuki was able to decide what her room actually looked like, and finally at age eighteen the Fujino's reluctantly painted her room the colour she wanted it to be. Yet Natsuki's life was not complete… she had thought that this change would be the most welcoming change this year, well besides graduation; it wasn't.

Why? Maybe it was because the very essence of the room was now the emerald eyed girl and not the tea drinking fifteen year olds idea of what a twelve year old should enjoy. Maybe it was because the tea drinking fifteen year old was not fifteen anymore, no, now she was twenty one and now she was so very far away in both age and interaction. Things had never been the same since Shizuru graduated three years ago. Something changed within her and life was not as innocent as Natsuki deemed it out to be all these years in the Fujino estate. The tea drinking teenager – correction – the tea drinking woman was now very busy with Searrs. An organization Natsuki was soon to join after graduation. The bright side was that Natsuki was going to see Shizuru a lot more, well, so she hoped. However the emerald eyed girl did not know what she would do if she was assigned to another squadron; she spent most of her time waiting for Shizuru to come home; always worrying that the ruby eyed Kyoto-born would not return. Of course her worrying would end up being for nothing since the older woman would always return and always give Natsuki a warm smile before going to bed. Natsuki of course never objected to such an act. She knew Shizuru needed her rest and the ruby eyed goddess always seemed pale and fatigued behind her mask when she came home.

Emerald eyes snapped to the doorway at the sound of soft footsteps. Immediately all thoughts washed out of Natsuki's head and she sprung up and walked towards her doorway. Once she reached the hallway she was greeted by the presence of Shizuru who smiled at the sight of her.

"Ara ara… was Natsuki-chan waiting for me?" she seemed to tease all knowingly. Green orbs watched the girl for one second, taking in as much detail as they could; Shizuru's chestnut tresses were slightly tangled and irregularly wavy; her lips were chapped and pale which was very rare for the beauty indicating that she had had a very busy mission. Her soft delicate skin was stained a strange colour in some areas and her clothes were tattered and incrusted with dirt.

Natsuki became worried straight away but blushed at that look Shizuru always gave her, that look that always regarded the emerald eyed girl with such care and devotion. A look Natsuki wished meant more than just what it really was… "Sh-shizuru" stuttered the midnight haired teenager.

"Na-tsu-ki" teased the Kyoto-born tilting her head to the side and watching the cobalt haired teen with amusement. Natsuki could tell Shizuru was fatigued and immediately stepped back into her doorway allowing the chestnut haired woman to pass. Those ruby eyes locked with emerald once more and unexpectedly Shizuru took a step towards Natsuki's door. The bike loving teen didn't expect this at all and flinched slightly at the close proximity of the other body. Shizuru was so close to her that Natsuki was overwhelmed and engulfed with her scent, it was the most intoxicating smell, and it seemed to mask all other possible and unwelcoming smells covering the Kyoto-born. It had been so long since Shizuru actually interacted with her, so long since the woman had even been able to be close to Natsuki and acknowledge her existence.

Shizuru noticed Natsuki flinch and stepped back. For a moment those red eyes seemed confused - at her own actions or Natsuki's the eighteen year old did not know - so emerald eyes watched with uncertainty as the twenty one year old left and walked down the hallway towards the bathroom.

Only once Natsuki heard the door close and the pipes in the walls squeak did she dare to move and admit to herself that Shizuru was now gone. She twisted round and kicked off her converses which were reluctant to leave her feet. Frustrated she stepped on the back of each heel and forced them off before falling onto her bed with a _poof_. She stared up at the ceiling watching the shadows of the fan spinning around her room. Why was she wearing her shoes before anyway? She couldn't remember. Emerald eyes narrowed and Natsuki turned onto her side and curled up on her bed; all that was on her mind was Searrs and Shizuru. It was always Searrs and Shizuru…

Suddenly a loud sound resonated throughout her room, that horrible screaming sound of her alarm clock. Her room was dark, very dark; that was the first thing she noticed, the first thing that was so very strange and when she turned around she glared at the clock.

_7:00pm_

Natsuki did not set her alarm to seven o'clock at night, that was dinner time which could only mean someone else did and the only person Natsuki could think of that would possibly do that was Shizuru. No matter how distant the Kyoto-born seemed to be she always found ways to tease and play her silly little games. When Natsuki loses all hope of seeing those delightful teases, that she surprisingly actually missed, Shizuru seemed to appear out of the darkness and ignite Natsuki's blush. How romantic…?

With a curse the biker loving teen attempted to get off of her bed; only to fall and face-plant onto the carpet as her feet got tangled up in her sheets. Growling Natsuki forced herself up dragging her sheets along the floor until they finally left her foot alone. She grabbed her doorframe as she walked passed and made her way to the dining area. As she walked down the hallway she paused at a mirror hung up against the wall. Its border was thick and gold…. Fancy and rich… just like the Fujino's. Apparently they had known Natsuki's father; whoever the hell that was and agreed to look after her. Shizuru had mentioned if they hadn't Natsuki would have gone to Searrs straight away and been appointed a caregiver. That, to Natsuki, made no sense at all since her mother only worked for Searrs; what did Natsuki have to do with it?

Emerald eyes stared back into emerald eyes examining her appearance. The Fujino's always stayed so proper and clean so Natsuki made a habit of trying to stay as neat and tidy as possible. Her hair wasn't looking the best at the moment; she didn't care but she knew Shizuru's parents would notice. Cursing inwardly the teenager turned around and made her way back to her room and grabbed a few hair ties. She swiftly put her hair up into a ponytail which seemed to get rid of the overall kinks and frizzed hair strands. Secretly she did it because she knew Shizuru would notice; the ruby eyed woman always seemed to detect any changes within the emerald eyed teenager and it made Natsuki feel prised.

Five minutes later Natsuki found herself at the door to the dining room, with a brave sigh she opened it up and found four figures eating quietly; one was Shizuru who Natsuki always looked too first but the Kyoto-born did not meet Natsuki's eyes; the others were Shizuru's mother, father and uncle.

"S-sorry I'm late" mumbled Natsuki trying not too blush as red and deep brown eyes all looked up to meet her. No matter how long Natsuki lived here she would never get use to eating in silence like this.

Shizuru's mother shifted and dabbed her mouth with a napkin before speaking "It is all right Natsuki-san" she gestured to the chair opposite her and the teenager walked around the table and sat down. To Natsuki's right sat Shouhei; Shizuru's uncle and to Natsuki's left sat Shizuru. Hideo, Shizuru's father, sat opposite his brother.

Natsuki looked down at her dinner and her stomach was immediately hungry; so very hungry that she just wanted to inhale this meal! Of course she was restricted to do so, on the first few months of staying with the Fujino's Natsuki had been drilled and battered in the proper etiquette. Shizuru's mother, Jun, had made sure of that. So carefully Natsuki began to eat trying to remember everything she had been taught, it seemed so unnatural to her, even though she had been doing it now for six long years. The Fujino's had been very compliant and resilient to Natsuki's habits and rebellious stages. They had been kind but strict, friendly but distant and always seemed most welcoming and humane. Of course at first they appeared to be alien… with strange customs and strange rules but eventually Natsuki had warmed up to them and them to Natsuki. They were the strangest family Natsuki had ever met - The only family that Natsuki ever met – but it made her feel safe and treasured.

The Fujino's were all tied into Searrs; they were very rich and supplied Searrs with a large number of sponsors; basically if the Fujino's sponsored something, everyone else did as well. That was why Shizuru had learnt to fight so early on, learnt the way of the naginata, and was assigned one small mission; to protect Natsuki within the Fujino Estate – her family was highly regarded by Searrs and received the best protection from outside invaders. Of course once Shizuru turned eighteen and finally graduated she became a full time Searrs member, Natsuki had seen her I.D once and it had said she was a member of Team Bravo and that her rank was Hime. Once this happened of course Natsuki had seen less and less of Shizuru and had begun to delve into childhood members of when they had been together.

Now that Shizuru was older she was allowed to leave the Fujino Estate and live wherever she needed but the ruby eyed beauty still stayed. Natsuki wanted to believe that it was for her sake but she had never worked up the nerve to ask for fear that it was for something else, for fear that her true feelings would be revealed to the Kyoto-born.

Everyone finished their meals and now waited for the emerald eyed teenager who really wanted to rush but had no choice but to take her time. Once she was finished everyone excused themselves and Natsuki just sat there, she was very aware of Shizuru getting up and leaving and once she heard the door close she let sadness envelope her features.

"Ara ara… what has my Natsuki so upset?" whispered the voice so very close to Natsuki's ear that she felt the tickling of Shizuru's warm breath on her skin.

Emerald eyes widened in surprise and she felt a hand twist its ways into her ponytail and twirl it between delicate fingers. Natsuki blushed and her body tensed

"Sh-shizuru…?" she fumbled turning the Kyoto-born's name into a question "I thought you left"

The chestnut haired woman seemed to ignore her questioning sentence and focused all her attention on Natsuki's hair. Slowly that familiar smell of Shizuru entered Natsuki's nose and she had no idea what to do. It had been a long time since the brown headed goddess had paid so much attention to her client - ex-client. Now that Natsuki was older and had 'settled' in the Fujino Estate, Searrs had deemed protection unnecessary.

"Natsuki graduates soon" replied the Kyoto-born tugging on the emerald eyed teenager's hair ties and pulling them down her midnight tresses gently until Natsuki's hair fell onto her shoulders. The emerald eyed girl swallowed and tried to turn to face Shizuru. A hand cupped the back of her shoulder stopping her "…I am sorry"

Natsuki tried to shift her eyes in the hopes of meeting deep ruby but all she could see was chestnut tresses and soft freshly cleaned skin "What are you talking about Shizuru?" the hand on her shoulder flexed its fingers tightening around Natsuki's limb.

"I left you for too long…" replied Shizuru running her hand through midnight tresses "…or has Natsuki not noticed the lack of my presence?"

Quickly the teenager twisted around in her seat and Shizuru stood up straight. They finally met each other's eyes, Shizuru's shimmering mischief and Natsuki's reflecting utter bewilderment "Baka I notice when you walk out of a room!" immediately she blushed realising what she had said "I d-didn't mean it like t-that!" she flailed her hands frantically in front of her as if trying to wave away her words only to have two palms grip her own gently. Shizuru's face lowered and was now very close to Natsuki's who instinctively moved back as far as her body would let her without falling off of her seat; blushing.

"Ara ara…" uttered Shizuru placing the emerald eyed girl's hands on the back of the chair with her own on top "… Natsuki is a liar she did not even notice whether or not I had left a few minutes ago"

"B-baka" replied Natsuki turning her head to the side only to hear Shizuru giggle and move away once again. The warmth of the Kyoto-born's hands left Natsuki's and emerald eyes turned towards where Shizuru once was. The chestnut haired woman was now making her way out of the dining room. The door opened and she twisted around meeting Natsuki's eyes.

"Is Natsuki coming or is she going to make the maids wait until midnight?"

Without a second thought the bike loving teen jumped up and followed Shizuru down the many halls of Fujino Estate like a second shadow. They walked out of one of the buildings and roamed the gardens, walking over a small bridge before finding themselves at the large lake or as Natsuki called it when she was younger 'the Fujino Garden Pond'. The moons light reflected off the rippling water and the two figures came to a halt amongst the flowers that bloomed all around the water's edge. They stood there in silence for a while side by side.

Natsuki was the first to rupture the silence "So…" she uttered kicking her foot on the ground and putting her hands in her pockets "…how are you?"

Shizuru faced her amused; "Busy as always" laughed the Kyoto-born "Searrs is very… demanding of my time, it will soon be like that for Natsuki"

The midnight haired teenager huffed "Great" she frowned thinking for a moment about Shizuru's previous appearance and all the times she had come home without a word; exhausted from her work. Sometimes Shizuru would not even come home at all and would stay far away for days on end just because of the pressure and demand put on Searrs and her own team "Is it hard on you?"

"I handle myself very well if that is what Natsuki is asking"

"No… I mean…you don't have to work with them do you?" questioned the teenager "If it's so stressful you could just quit" she looked at the ruby eyed beauty as she bent down and picked up a small stone rubbing the dirt off of it with her fingers. Natsuki attempted to skim it along the water's surface but it plumped down into the depths as soon as it touched the lake. The teenagers face fell immediately.

"It is not quite that easy…" smiled Shizuru looking back at the lake "I am a Hime; it is my duty to protect my family and humanity. If everyone thought that way no one would be safe and by now even Fujino Estate would be overrun by blood seekers"

"Right..." mumbled Natsuki watching the water ripple where her rock had sunk feeling like an idiot. She squatted down to the ground and picked up another pebble; pushing herself up with the strength of her legs and once again twiddling the nugget between her fingers "You mentioned that to me once before…- Hime-…what exactly is it?" asked the midnight haired teen throwing the stone along the rippling water once more, it skipped two, three – four times.

"Natsuki… let us not talk about these things" sighed the Kyoto-born "I do not want you to worry about Searrs in your last few months of freedom"

Natsuki turned towards the beautiful woman and pulled her classic hurt puppy dog face she only used on the chestnut haired goddess "Come on Shizuru please~" she begged "I want to have an edge against the new recruits!" the bike loving teen punched the air in front of her with confidence.

The woman closed her eyes and a smile graced her lips "It is unusual for Natsuki to plead so submissively"

Immediately the emerald eyed girl blushed at the tease usually Shizuru would not insult her when she requested certain things because the chestnut haired beauty always enjoyed Natsuki's expression and was afraid that it would disappear.

"Baka…" growled Natsuki turning away and crossing her arms to try and shield herself from embarrassment. Shizuru laughed and apologized.

"We are… a secret weapon against those who crave for blood" answered the Kyoto-born her expression growing serious "Searrs decided that if blood was so priceless to them that blood would be their very weakness. A common field agent's blood just hinders a craver but a Hime's blood is fatal…"

"I see…" frowned Natsuki "How does that work exactly-

Before Natsuki could continue they were interrupted by approaching footsteps, Shizuru was the first to turn around and Natsuki followed her gaze. Out of the darkness appeared an angry looking woman with blonde hair and bright eyes. She wore a strange green outfit and green orbs immediately noticed the gun strapped to her belt buckle. Natsuki was very aware of Shizuru turning right around to face this individual quite casually; they were acquainted.

"Haruka-san" greeted Shizuru with a smile and the tilt of her head

"Cut the act bubuzuke!" snapped the blonde tightening her fists at her sides, her face had completely changed from calm and collected to one that was insulted and in rage. Natsuki had no idea how this could have happened all Shizuru had said was a name "It's Suzushiro-san to you!"

"My apologies Suzushiro-san" smiled Shizuru and Natsuki's eyes snapped to her face. Did Shizuru just admit defeat? No she was messing with her. The midnight haired teenager fought back a laugh as Shizuru spoke "What brings you to Fujino Estate?"

"We have a mission early in the morning" twitched the blond angrily "Harada-san and the others have retired to one of your many unnecessary rooms" the blonde's eyes snapped to Natsuki and emerald eyes glared back at this intruder "What's with the squirt?" she pointed a finger towards the biker who flinched angrily at the nickname. The midnight haired teen was about to retort but closed her mouth when Shizuru spoke.

"This is Natsuki" explained Shizuru waving her hand towards the teenager "She will be a recruit in a few months"

"Whatever" muttered the woman turning around and walking back the way she came "Just be ready in the morning and make sure everything you need is packed in the jeep!" she ordered leaving them alone once again.

Natsuki stared into the darkness where the blonde had disappeared deep in thought. Shizuru was leaving again… what if this time she never came back? What if this was the last time Natsuki would see her?

"Say… Shizuru" murmured the dark haired teen "Can I come with you?" asked the biker turning towards her companion and locking her green orbs with Shizuru's red ones. The chestnut haired woman seemed to jump at the question completely caught off guard. Her eyes were shocked for a moment, worried then resolute, before turning serious.

"No Natsuki" Shizuru's tone was so strong and determined it made the emerald eyed girl look her over for a moment unsure of herself. The beautiful woman stepped closer to the teenager who was now on the back foot as Shizuru came closer and grabbed her below her shoulders squeezing her arms gently "I could not bear the thought of putting you in danger"

"But I'm going to end up working with Searrs anyway" explained Natsuki "… what better way than to have my first encounter with you there"

The Kyoto-born considered Natsuki's words for a moment taking a step back and releasing her comforting hold on the blue haired individual "Yes, but I would never be able to forgive myself if Natsuki got hurt" replied the woman softly "It is getting late…I think it is best if we retire for the night"

"A-ah…" voiced Natsuki in surprise before blushing slightly at her next question "but… well… could I see you more S-shizuru?"

Shizuru met her eyes and gave her a warm gentle smile "I will try my hardest to accompany Natsuki"

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The sky was dark and grey and rain was pouring down like a blanket all around. Lightning flashed up high cutting a pattern into the clouds followed by the roar of thunder. Fujino Estate was empty and quiet this morning. Natsuki stood on one of the patios and stared at the black jeep in the courtyard parked on the cobblestones. Figures moved around it loading bags and equipment Natsuki did not recognise, the only thing she did notice was Shizuru's wrapped up naginata being carefully loaded into the back. The individuals around the vehicle were all yelling and wearing dark black rain coats. The back of the jeep was shut and two individuals dived into the car.

The vehicle roared to life and the lights flicked on as the tires slowly began to move squishing the pebbles in its path. The driver made a U-turn and to Natsuki's surprise the jeep pulled up next to her and the window smoothly went down to reveal Shizuru's face. Emerald eyes widened as Shizuru smiled at her and opened the door up beckoning Natsuki to join them. Without another thought Natsuki jumped off of the deck splashing the water that had collected on the ground in all directions. She climbed into the vehicle as Shizuru slid to the other side to make room for her. As the teenager sat down Shizuru leaned over her and pulled the door shut.

"I still think this is a bad idea…" grumbled a familiar voice which Natsuki recognised as the blonde's from last night "How could you even agree to this Yukino!" the angry woman seemed to be directing her comment to the driver; a meek looking individual with scruffy brown hair and glasses. The girl at the wheel just smiled timidly and began to drive again.

"Relax Suzushiro-san" interrupted a deeper voice from behind Natsuki "… she is only going to be in the apartment"

Emerald eyes turned around to see the stranger who spoke; it was a rather tall tomboyish individual with short black hair. The raincoats they had all been wearing previously had been shoved to one side revealing that the tomboy behind the biker was actually wearing a suit.

As dark eyes met emerald the tomboy directed all her attention on the newcomer "OH what's this?" uttered the woman "… a _cute_ girl Fujino-san~"

The tomboy leaned forward in her seat to have a look at Natsuki who leaned away; blushing "Who are these people Shizuru?" she demanded feeling uncomfortable

"AH!" gasped the woman in the back clutching her chest and falling back onto her seat "Fujino-san does not even speak of us, my heart is eternally broken!"

"Ara ara it is okay Natsuki" reassured Shizuru "These are my teammates, we work together to protect a lot of people, this is Harada Chie" Shizuru pointed to the girl at the back who smiled and winked at the emerald eyed girl "… and that is Suzushiro Haruka and Kikukawa Yukino"

Haruka looked back at the sound of her name and met Natsuki's eyes for a brief moment before directing her gaze back to the direction the jeep was travelling in; which was now outside of the Fujino Estate.

"This is Kuga Natsuki" smiled Shizuru and the emerald eyed girl felt naked and exposed as her identity was revealed.

"Ah Kuga?" gasped the blonde "Like Kuga Saeko? _The_ Kuga Saeko?"

"Hai" uttered Shizuru with her constant smile; Natsuki could tell the girl was now trying to cut the conversation short for Natsuki's own sake knowing well that Natsuki did not like her identity to be revealed unnecessarily.

Unfortunately the excitement of accompanying Shizuru seemed to fade away and now the emerald eyed girl felt uneasy in this strange version of a jeep. She was going to an unknown location and had not been given the chance to ask where they were going and whether or not Shizuru's family knew that Natsuki was going with Shizuru. The emerald eyed girl guessed that it was the latter due to Suzushiro's reluctance on the idea.

A soft hand was placed onto Natsuki's affectionately and the emerald eyed girl stared at the sudden warmth that enveloped the back of her hand. Shizuru's hand was on top of hers; squeezing it gently. The cobalt haired girl tried not to blush at the contact not knowing that Shizuru was not doing it as a friend comforting another friend.

Both girls had never voiced their feelings to each other before however, well not their true feelings. They were always too scared to test the waters, too scared to break what they did not want to be broken.

Emerald eyes flicked towards Shizuru's face but those crimson eyes just kept looking forward as they drove on through the wet in silence. Natsuki took this time to observe where they were, they passed a lot of houses and buildings but she did not recognise any of them. It had always been rare for the teenager to leave Fujino Estate. The only time she ever did was when she had to go to and from school. Which, to her delight, she was going to be missing if this so called mission involved an apartment.

Of course her little trip was not what she had expected. They arrived at a town a few miles away from a small village that had apparently been overrun. The first two days consisted of Natsuki playing video games in their small temporary apartment, being home schooled by a tired Shizuru and being taught different fighting styles by Harada Chie. It also involved constant yelling from the so called Suzushiro Haruka and a lot of healthy meals for Natsuki; courtesy of Shizuru, whilst the rest of Shizuru's team had takeout.

Finally on the third day Shizuru decided to take Natsuki out to a secure part of the village the team had already cleaned up; the rest of the team decided to put up surveillance cameras during the day.

The emerald eyed girl's shoe hit the concrete footpath causing the puddle to scatter its water droplets in all directions. The individual was running fast; gasping for air. Their head whipped back down the road searching for whatever was pursuing them. When they turned to look ahead they screeched to a halt; a sharp object touching their throat.

Natsuki cursed as her companions naginata was at her neck

"Argh!" she growled in frustration pulling at her hair

"Natsuki did very well this time" commented the accented voice. Shizuru's head tilted to the side with a smile, her chestnut tresses swaying at the small movement.

"Whatever Shizuru!" uttered the cobalt haired girl kicking the water on the footpath "You say that all the time and I never finish, you always catch me! Why can't you just lose for once baka?"

"Ara that would defeat the purpose Na-tsu-ki" smiled the chestnut haired beauty once again, tilting her head upright "I cannot simply just let Natsuki win, then I would be worried about her safety all the time; this way Natsuki will be fast enough to get away and I will be content knowing she can outsmart her enemy" Shizuru shifted her weight onto her right foot and tucked her weapon behind her back holding it with one hand to the side.

"Ah I am tired of running!" the emerald eyed girl sighed "Why can't we do more naginata training like we use to?" as Natsuki said this she pointed at the weapon in question

"Natsuki knows the answer to that question" smiled Shizuru tilting her head to the side once again with her unwavering smile. Her eyes closed and her expression was almost apologetic even though she seemed so blissful. They opened to find a fuming Natsuki.

"Oh yeah and what is that?" demanded the girl crossing her arms and glaring at those crimson eyes that seemed to see right through her. The older girl's chestnut hair was darker than usual; damp from the rain. Her clothes were also drenched. They wouldn't have been out here but Natsuki had insisted and Shizuru had promised to teach her something… of course the emerald eyed girl did not expect the teaching to involve constant running… "Enlighten me"

"Natsuki is really bad at it of course"

The emerald eyed girl face palmed and was about to say something when they were interrupted by a strange noise. Emerald eyes flicked up the road over Shizuru's shoulder. The Kyoto-born turned as well and stared into the misty sheet of the rain. A blur appeared in a distance, it was a black smudge in the horrible lighting, but as it neared it's edges became more square and sharp. A dark charcoal jeep was heading towards them. It's thick tires split the wet in the road as its engine revved powerfully. The jeeps horn beeped as it pulled up next to them and the door flung open; Haruka stepped out her eyebrows meeting in the middle.

"Bubuzuke!" she bellowed "What do you think you're going?"

"Ah it's 'doing' Haruka-chan" uttered a voice from inside the car

"WHATEVER!" she screamed directing her shout inside the vehicle before facing the two girls on the footpath "We need to get moving now, get in!"

The next thing Natsuki knew she was pulled into the jeep by Shizuru's soft grip on her arm. The leather beneath Natsuki's pants screeched as she made herself comfortable inside the car putting her belt on.

"Hey Natsuki-chan~" sang Harada Chie who was peeping over the midnight haired girl's shoulder from the far back seat

"… I honestly don't know what Searrs was thinking appointing the bubuzuke into our unit…" rambled the blonde sitting at the front of the jeep next to the driver; Yukino.

"Ara it is because I told them Suzushiro-san enjoys my company so much" smiled the Kyoto-born causing the blonde at the front to growl in frustration and cross her arms

Suddenly a scratching sound was heard at the front of the vehicle followed by a click. A computer screen turned on at the front of the car that Natsuki had not noticed before

"Ah we have some new data" commented Kikukawa "One of our traps has been triggered"

"Looks like you are going to be staying with us Natsuki-chaaannn!" explained Chie with excitement and Natsuki immediately felt like she had been thrown into a situation she had never expected or prepared for.

"Just stay in the car okay Natsuki?" uttered Shizuru's soothing voice placing a hand on top of Natsuki's own.

"H-hai" murmured the cobalt haired girl nervously.

"It looks like our sensors picked up activity at the harbour" explained Haruka "I hope you are prepared bubuzuke"

The jeep's lights hit the falling ran drops as they continued into the night, heading towards the thirteen warehouses stationed along the dock. Natsuki did not feel really well, her stomach felt empty and bile was beginning to collect inside her throat; she wanted to vomit. She didn't know what she would see but she knew it wasn't going to be good… could she really face the creature that had killed her mother? Could she really let Shizuru go out there? She wanted to be strong and she wanted to protect people… people like Shizuru. The emerald eyed girl glanced over to the chestnut haired teenager who seemed so perfectly calm; like she was in her element.

Natsuki did not want to stay in the jeep by herself, and that very thought made her feel like such a coward. Her eyes went down to her knees and she lifted up her free right hand and stared at the inside of her palm. Her fingers flexed and she was brought out of her thoughts by the one sitting by her side.

"Here" uttered Shizuru handing Natsuki over a black case "It is for Natsuki"

"OI!" yelled Haruka "You can't give her THAT!"

Natsuki gripped the case with both hands; missing Shizuru's contact on her left hand immediately. She put the dark case on her lap and unclipped the two latches. Lifting the top of the case up her eyes widened; inside sat two strange looking pistols. Her green eyes shot up to meet Shizuru's.

"Are you sure giving her that is a good idea…I might have to report it you know…" murmured Chie mostly to herself but with the intent of letting everyone hear

Emerald just watched crimson and Shizuru closed the case on top of Natsuki's lap, "It is only for when you really need it" explained the Kyoto-born "I want to know Natsuki is safe without me"

"T-thank you" whispered the cobalt haired girl looking down at the case as the jeep began to slow down. Her stomach felt even emptier at Shizuru's last words and two seconds later the car was standing still. Natsuki swallowed nervously as she heard a door open; Haruka jumped out and went to the back to open up the boot where Chie conveniently jumped out from. The tomboy grabbed a sheathed katana while Haruka grabbed Shizuru's naginata and her own revolvers.

A hand cupped Natsuki's cheek forcing the cobalt haired girl to look into red, "Kikukawa-san will be staying here with you Na-tsu-ki" explained the chestnut haired woman; the way Shizuru said her name and the very sound of Shizuru's voice made Natsuki's heart skip a beat.

"Sh-shizuru…" Natsuki mumbled desperately wanting to tell the Kyoto-born to stay; to not leave her; for them just to go home.

Whilst Natsuki struggled with her inner self something changed in Shizuru's eyes. They began to shimmer and grow dark as they stared into green emeralds. Natsuki's cheek felt so warm with Shizuru's hand sitting there holding her and before she knew it the Kyoto-born was leaning towards Natsuki. The cobalt haired teenager was startled as Shizuru's face came closer…

Closer…

…And Closer…

Natsuki's eyes widened as soft lips made contact with her forehead. For a moment time froze. Natsuki's heart started beating at a rapid pace that if a doctor examined her they would say she would be dead in five seconds. The only thing the emerald eyed girl managed to do was twitch her fingers on the leather seats and stay as still as a statue. Then her cheeks turned red; embarrassed that she thought Shizuru was actually going to kiss her on the lips. Those soft gentle lips left Natsuki's forehead and for one moment the Kyoto-born was there and then she was gone.

Natsuki felt lost without her and it was too late to stop her, so emerald eyes watched as the three figures walked down the alley into the darkness whilst the rain began to pour even harder.

"_Haruka-chan can you hear me"_uttered the girl in front of Natsuki as the emerald eyed teen tucked the case Shizuru had given her under her feet.

"_Hai"_replied a voice from a small speaker at the front of the jeep_"You sound far though Yukino"_

"_The rain must be interfering with our reception"_rationalised the timid girl _"Please be extra careful"_

Silence lingered for about three minutes but it felt like hours for Natsuki. All she could think about was Shizuru and what was out there in the darkness. Then suddenly the silence was interrupted…

"_Target spotted"_Shizuru's voice entered the jeep's interior and Natsuki immediately gripped the front seat where Yukino was seated at the sound of the beauty's voice _"It's about-_they were hit with static and Natsuki leaned even more forward.

"What happened?" she asked

Yukino glanced back at the girl "Services must be down, don't worry, Fujino-san is very good, nothing bad will happen to her" reassured the modest woman "We have three Himes currently in Team Bravo so there is nothing to worry about Kuga-san"

"Ugh?" grunted Natsuki "Three Himes?"

Yukino frowned and stared at Natsuki as if she was insane "… hai… Fujino-san, Haruka-chan and myself"

Natsuki frowned and was deep in thought for a moment "What is a Hime exactly?" questioned the emerald eyed girl "I know that they have unique blood but how were they created… how many are there and why not make everyone a Hime?"

Now it was Yukino's turn to frown even more at the blue haired individual "There are twelve of us and we are superior physically and mentally when compared to the general human population… according to Searrs anyway" explained Yukino "… I'm not sure if I am the right person to tell you this Kuga-san, I thought you would know all about Himes since your mother was the scientist that discovered them"

"S-she was?" gasped Natsuki and Yukino met her eyes. It seemed the short haired girl was contemplating on whether to keep talking or whether Natsuki was being serious or not.

"Yes… were you not told?"

"No I barely knew anything about mothers work" explained Natsuki "I did not think it was that important"

Yukino laughed "Well her work was very important, she wanted to save humanity from these creatures of the night, so she created a serum that changed our DNA, our genetic code, of course I do not know all the details, but I do know that Himes – we - are important to the survival of human kind and that no Hime can be turned into a vampire; when a blood-seeker tastes our blood they die"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… Haruka-chan was bitten once…" murmured the girl her eyes going dark as she thought back to the incident "The creature only got to her for a second before I intervened. When I managed to pull Haruka away the enemy had turned to stone"

"Cool!" gasped Natsuki "So Himes can turn those monsters into stone? So my mother was a hero?"

Yukino tried to laugh but the girl did not find it the least bit funny or amazing "You could say that, but not all blood-seekers are turned to stone; Hime blood is very unique therefore our blood has a different affect" she replied "But anyway, after that, Searrs wanted to get rid of Haruka right then and there; usually the change is instant; but when Haruka did not change it was a scientific breakthrough"

"I see" mumbled Natsuki "Why don't they give the serum to everyone? That way the whole world could be Himes"

Yukino looked out the window, making sure she couldn't see Natsuki in the slightest "Well it only seemed to work on girls… and they did try the serum out on more than just twelve of us… there was a total of one hundred and twenty four subjects…" sighed Yukino sadly "I should probably not tell you this, it is not my place"

Natsuki frowned "Tell me" demanded Natsuki "I want to know. I need to know everything about my mother" _and everything about Shizuru_ thought the emerald eyed girl

"… well only twelve of the subjects were a success" expressed Yukino "The one hundred and twelve others showed strange symptoms… vampiric symptoms… insane symptoms… all sorts of strange things at such a young and small age… they had a thirst for blood but had no sharp teeth or biological differences than that of a simple human being"

"I see…"

"Some showed no symptoms at all but Searrs had no choice but to get rid of them"

"What?" yelled Natsuki "So they killed them?"

"Hai" nodded Yukino "They are the most powerful company in the world and the only company that can experiment on the human genome… everything is a lot easier for them when they can just make a decision without any consequences. The world just agreed to it because no one else knew how to defeat the blood-seekers at the time, well no one handled it better than Searrs"

"That's…"

"Yeah" Yukino sighed repositioning her glasses "Searrs did keep a few of the subjects that showed no symptoms for a while in hopes that they would turn out to be Himes. The parents of these children were ecstatic…but once one of them showed psychotic symptoms and a thirst for blood they decided to get rid of the rest once and for all"

"How did they know you would not turn against them as well?" questioned Natsuki

"They didn't, but since our blood was such a rare weapon they could not afford to just give up on the twelve girls that were such a success" stated the girl "We were the only ones that had the blood to kill a vampire, blood that could not even be harvested… once it is it's just useless"

"That doesn't make sense…" commented Natsuki "… sounds impossible"

"What's impossible is that you had no idea about it"

"What do you mean?" questioned Natsuki completely confused

"Because… Kuga-san…you are also a Hime"

Natsuki fell back onto her previous seat in shock… it couldn't be… Natsuki's mother would never experiment on her only daughter… not to mention herself.

She sat there numbly unknowingly staying like that for the next forty six minutes.

A bang brought her back to reality and she looked through the front window of the jeep down the alley; it was too dark and she couldn't see a thing. Suddenly the jeep lights turned on and a shadow was standing in front of the car, its arms were long and hands claw like.

Natsuki gasped remembering where she was and that Yukino was with her.

Bang

Natsuki looked up and realized the loud noise was coming from the roof; something was on top of them.

Suddenly a clawed hand smashed through the window and Natsuki screamed forcing herself to scramble to the left side of the jeep. Yukino did the same and was now crouching on Haruka's seat. The scruffy haired girl leapt outside leaving Natsuki alone in the vehicle.

Abruptly the door Natsuki was leaning against vanished from behind her and she was yanked out with such rapid force she did not have time to take any air into her lungs. Something gripped her around the chest and she thought back to what Shizuru had said about running.

She fought with all her might trying to escape her attacker only to be thrown behind them.

Emerald eyes widened realizing it was Shizuru that had previously been holding her. The chestnut haired woman stepped in front of the younger girl protectively as the creature on the roof stood up and watched the naginata in the Kyoto-born's hand.

"Stay behind me Natsuki" ordered Shizuru and the creature leapt up into the air towards them.

"Shizuru!" screamed Natsuki instinctively fearing for the older girl's life

The creatures head flew passed Natsuki a second later and the young girl shook violently at the sight of death. It was the enemy… but … it was still killing; still death.

Another creature appeared only to be shot in the temple. Natsuki's head whipped around to see Haruka standing with Yukino and Chie. Her green eyes spotted five more shadows in the distance behind them and she gasped.

"B-behind y-you!" yelled Natsuki and the trio swiftly spun around

Haruka turned to Natsuki and frowned "What are you talking about, I don't see anything!"

"T-they're coming!" screamed Natsuki desperately pointing in the direction she was looking "Five… no six… eight!"

"She is right Haruka-chan!" bellowed Chie "I see something! Prepare yourselves… they all seem to be Category C – Blood-cravers!"

"W-what's going on" cried Natsuki "How come there are so many!"

Natsuki felt herself being lifted by Shizuru's firm grip; the girl's hand was not as gentle as usual and when Natsuki looked at her face she had a cut on her lip and a small slice on her cheek.

"Stay next to the jeep" ordered Shizuru giving Natsuki a small push backwards.

The emerald eyed girl watched in horror as Shizuru ran towards the oncoming shadows with her companions. She needed to help them… there were too many… _the pistols!_ Thought Natsuki and just as she was about to turn around and grab them her feet were swept out from underneath her towards the bottom of the car. Her head cracked onto the pavement instantly creating a laceration and her eyes to fill up with black smudges. As soon as she hit the ground she was swiftly pulled under the vehicle and out the other side. She felt herself being flipped over roughly and she looked up to meet whatever it was that had grabbed her.

"AHHHH!" she screamed in horror at the horrible creature above her. Its limbs and legs were abnormally long and its skin dark and rotten. Its teeth were sharp and had multiple rows. Those teeth soon met her arm and it was as if thousands of needles had pierced Natsuki's tense muscles all at once. She noticed more of the creatures around her… five… she thought… no… seven… no- and then she gave in to the darkness.

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

When Natsuki awoke she was in a white room surrounded by curtains and strange equipment. She blinked once and then twice before her last memory hit her malfunctioning brain. She shot up like a bullet and regretted it immediately; a sharp pain hit her head and she lifted her hand up to grip her forehead. Her fingers touched multiple layers of bandages and a cool breeze seemed to tickle her bare back. Wait… bare back?

Emerald eyes looked down and realised that she was completely nude. Immediately feeling vulnerable Natsuki pulled the blanket over her chest and turned red glad no one had seen her.

"Ara ara…" uttered the voice "Natsuki looks well…"

Green orbs shot to the right and Natsuki realised that there was another bed next to hers housing a very weak and pale looking Shizuru.

"SHIZURU!" yelled Natsuki before wincing at the pain that erupted in her head. Not only that but her body had moved towards the girl on her left and caused multiple aches all throughout Natsuki's own body.

"Natsuki be careful" warned Shizuru "… and as much as I enjoy seeing Natsuki's young naked body, she does need her rest…"

Emerald eyes looked down once again and Natsuki realised she had let go of the sheets. Her face became as red as a tomato and she dived right under the blankets covering even the top of her head. She heard a chuckle and then a series of coughs forcing her to peek out from under the covers at the choking Shizuru.

Natsuki pushed her whole head out "Are you okay?" she asked with worry

"As long as Natsuki is okay I will be most excellent" teased the Kyoto-born

"Shizuru!" scolded the younger girl "You know what I mean"

"Hai hai I am alright Natsuki, I just need time to recover"

Emerald eyes looked over the girl opposite her. Natsuki noticed a patch on Shizuru's neck and bandages all over her left arm; the rest she couldn't see because Shizuru was almost completely emerged in her sheets.

"Shizuru… what happened?"

"Oi! No talking!" yelled a new and much angrier voice. Natsuki's eyes shot towards the curtains that now whipped open and met brown maple eyes "You should be recovering from your wounds, no chit chat!"

"Er…"

"I am Doctor Youko" explained the woman brushing the sleeve of her lab-coat "I work for Searrs and tend to Team Alpha, Bravo and Echo and yes I skipped Charlie and Delta on purpose so don't give me that look; you are currently at one of our temporary clinics" she grabbed the clipboard at the end of Natsuki's bed and looked it over, constantly flipping from the front page to the second page "You are lucky Fujino-san decided to put herself on the line for you"

Natsuki shot Shizuru a look but those crimson eyes had shifted to the roof without Natsuki's knowledge.

The doctor put Natsuki's clipboard down and in turn went over to Shizuru and looked hers over "… and you Fujino-san are stupid enough to jump into a group of blood-cravers without a seconds thought"

Natsuki stared even more at Shizuru trying to catch her attention but the Kyoto-born was obviously avoiding those emerald eyes.

Youko made her way towards Shizuru and helped her sit up slightly. The doctor put some gloves on and peeled back the bandage on Shizuru's neck a little.

"Hmm… for a Hime you sure lost a lot of blood" commented the doctor "Your wounds are going to take some time to heal… if you had lost this much blood as someone like me you would have died three times now" the doctor allowed Shizuru to lie down again and took off her gloves "Mou… these young Himes are going to drive me up the wall… so young but so violent and reckless"

"How are my friends?" questioned Shizuru

"Your friends are fine… a few scratches and bruises here and there" Youko sighed "Harada-san I believe is filling out reports as we speak… poor girl must be feeling worse than I am; she has to deal with you lot on the field… I am glad that you did not manage to get her killed however, her auntie would have my head" the doctor pulled the curtains closed and left Natsuki and Shizuru in private "Now rest up and not a sound!"

Natsuki slipped her feet over the edge of the bed catching Shizuru's attention. The younger girl kept the sheets wrapped around her and slowly slipped onto the ground. She winced as pain erupted through her left arm and her right waste. Her legs immediately felt like jelly when she tried to support herself. Struggling for balance the emerald eyed girl managed to stay upright and took a few hesitant steps towards Shizuru before taking the last five and climbing up next to the older girl.

"Natsuki?" questioned Shizuru as soft midnight locks brushed against her face. Natsuki curled up next to the older girl ignoring the pain that pulsed through her body. She used her weak arm to spread her own sheets over Shizuru's so that the older girl had extra warmth.

Shizuru relaxed at the contact of Natsuki's body; they weren't directly touching but the crimson eyed girl could feel Natsuki's half naked form through the sheets. They both lay there silently taking in each other's presence before Natsuki interrupted the quiet room with a soft whisper

"You sacrificed yourself for me… didn't you Shizuru?" murmured Natsuki meekly. The emerald eyed girl waited for a reply and after about a minute she heard that wonderful voice that had broken through to her numb body when she had lost her mother.

"Natsuki is most precious to me…" replied the crimson eyed girl _and it was my fault you were there in the first place…_

"Mmm…" agreed Natsuki indicating that she shared the same feelings towards Shizuru who shivered for just a moment.

Natsuki lifted her head to look up at the older girl "…Shizuru?"

"… It seems that I am cold" whispered Shizuru closing her eyes in an attempt to fight off another chill.

Natsuki found herself wrapping her injured arm around Shizuru's stomach but very carefully; she wasn't sure where the older girl was hurt. It was a small attempt to keep Shizuru warmer "Better?" asked the innocent teenager only to feel another chill pulse through Shizuru.

"Ara maybe Natsuki should come and join me"

"What are you talking about Shizuru?" questioned Natsuki in confusion "I am right here" she squeezed the older teen gently before it dawned on her that the brunette meant under the covers; Natsuki's face became a red beacon of light.

"Oh…t-that…" stuttered the midnight haired girl only to hear Shizuru's beautiful soft laugh

"I am just teasing Natsuki"

"I… I k-know that!" snapped the emerald eyed girl defensively trying but failing at her attempt to hide her embarrassment.

Natsuki did not know when she had drifted off but when she awoke Shizuru was lying on her side holding Natsuki. Shizuru's right arm was wrapped around the younger girl's waste and the second thing Natsuki noticed besides how at peace Shizuru was; was that Shizuru's arm was very cold. Natsuki felt really hot under her blanket and in Shizuru's grasp. How much blood did Shizuru lose exactly?

The eighteen year old heard the sound of the curtains being whipped open and turned around weakly to see who it was.

"Sorry…!" murmured Chie "I didn't mean to interrupt anything…"

Natsuki fought back a blush and weaved her way out of Shizuru's hold into an upright position making sure she held the blanket up high enough to shield her body.

"Y-you didn't interrupt anything!" Natsuki blushed "I w-was just keeping S-Shizuru warm!"

Chie waved at her rapidly "Oh no it's okay you don't have to lie Natsuki-chaaaan~ I completely understand teenage hormones and their urges~"

"B-baka!" screamed Natsuki turning even redder and Chie laughed "What do you want!"

Chie's smile faded and her eyes grew dark "I was just coming to check up on Fujino-san…"

Natsuki looked back at Shizuru with worry noticing the brunette had a struggling expression on her face all of a sudden "Yeah… she is really cold…" she reached out and brushed the girl's hair back from her face and watched Shizuru's expression melt away

Chie walked over to the bedside and put her hands in her pocket "She suffered a lot of bite wounds" explained Chie "…it's my understanding you got bitten twice?"

Natsuki blinked and peeped under the sheets realizing that, that was why her right side was hurting.

"Anyway… Fujino-san heard your scream and immediately left us without a second thought" Chie scratched the back of her head "When we finally managed to get to the both of you all the Category Cs were dead. Five had bled from the inside out, and one of them was completely frozen solid while another had been shattered into frozen shards; the other three had been killed by Fujino-sans naginata"

"What?" gasped Natsuki "Shizuru killed all ten of them by herself?"

"Well no… you killed two of them Natsuki-chan" explained Chie "Thanks to your two bite wounds, but still eight is amazing for someone who has not been in the field for that long"

"Oh… I killed them?"

"Hai don't think about it too much" encouraged Chie "Besides we should really be concerned about how long Fujino-san's recovery will take; she did get bitten seven times"

"S-seven?" gasped Natsuki staring at the brunette before her "But…"

"I guess she managed to kill some of them before her blood took affect" predicted Chie "Anyway she is extremely lucky… I did not even know a Hime could survive such wounds, we almost lost a girl named Shiho to four bite wounds… it was really close… but her muscle tissue has never fully recovered"

Natsuki touched Shizuru's bandaged shoulder hoping that it would not be the same for the brunette. The older girl shifted in her sleep and managed to wrap her arms around Natsuki's waste. The younger teen blushed furiously at the sign of affection and glanced at Chie who immediately turned away and began to whistle.

"I'll be going now!" she gave Natsuki a salute as she walked behind the curtain "You two have fun~"

"W-why do you have to say it like t-that!" growled Natsuki turning back to Shizuru and pulling her arms away.

Crimson eyes shot open and met Natsuki's

"Ara…" uttered Shizuru "Gomen ne Natsuki I was dreaming"

"It's okay…" reassured the emerald eyed teen with a blush still staining her cheeks "H-how are you feeling?"

"Mmmm better now that I see Natsuki in real life, she has much less clothes on"

Natsuki jumped off the bed ignoring the pain that jolted through her body; pulling her blanket with her as her face lit up once again "B-baka!" she yelled "D-don't say such things I was just keeping you warm like a good friend would!"

As time passed Natsuki was finally in less pain, her wounds had not completely healed yet but the tissue and muscles deeper below her skin had repaired wonderfully. As for Shizuru her wounds had completely healed without as much as a scratch. Although she was still pale and suffered from small shivers. Yohko had said each Hime reacts differently when repairing damaged tissues and wounds.

Both girls were busy getting changed in the room that had become their temporary home for the last few months. Natsuki had a blush on her face as always struggling not to look back to make sure Shizuru wasn't looking; she knew if she looked back she would see Shizuru which in turn would make the brunette look at Natsuki. Well insist that to make things even Natsuki had to let Shizuru see her at least half naked again; no way was that going to happen. The older girl enjoyed it way too much.

"Done~" chimed Shizuru and Natsuki stumbled over her jeans; trying to quicken her pace

"I'm n-not! No peeping!"

Once Natsuki was changed she turned around and found that Shizuru was indeed facing the other way she uttered "Done" and the older girl immediately twisted around and met her gaze with a smile.

Soon Natsuki found herself back at the Fujino estate far far away from that clinic and far far away from the location where she had been attacked. Since she had returned she had begun to see less and less of Shizuru once again. The chestnut haired woman was busy recovering from her wounds and the disappointed received from her parents. The Fujino's had been furious when they had discovered Natsuki had been taken off the property and even more furious that Searrs had not provided Team Bravo with enough backup. But currently Natsuki was busy struggling with her own problems at night; constantly being haunted by nightmares.

Some of them even involved her mother and Natsuki's multiple failed attempts at saving her. Usually she would just stay up and in the morning pretend nothing was bothering her but tonight she couldn't do it. She had had enough. So she gently pushed her door open as quietly as possible and slowly made her way to Shizuru's room. The Fujino's had not allowed Natsuki to see the Kyoto-born at all for the first few weeks of their return. Natsuki had no idea why but knew that Shizuru was under constant surveillance. The strange thing was that the security guards and strange scientists did not work for Searrs and the operation had been kept very secret. Mr Fujino had even had a talk with Natsuki on the matter and only left when he was sure the emerald eyed teenager would not say a word about. Once the men in suits left the midnight haired teen felt a lot safer and guessed that they had accomplished their task of making sure Shizuru was okay.

When Natsuki opened up the door she found Shizuru sitting and reading a book in the dark with only the moonlight to guide her eyes – odd. Those eyes flicked up and met Natsuki's. As if caught doing something she shouldn't the brunette closed the book and stood up.

"Natsuki?"

"Sorry Shizuru…" murmured the girl innocently "I haven't been able to sleep well lately"

"Oh would you like to join me?" asked the beautiful girl in the dark gesturing towards her bed

A small blush was painted onto Natsuki's cheek and she was glad that it was too dark for the older girl to see "H-hai"

Five minutes later both girls were tucked under the covers facing opposite ways. Natsuki closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep but her mind was even more awake in Shizuru's bed than it was in her own room. Shizuru's scent infiltrated Natsuki's nose and it made her green eyes grow darker; it was so intoxicating.

Shizuru who was facing the other way also could not sleep, "Is Natsuki tired?"

"No…" mumbled the girl

"Neither" uttered the Kyoto-born and the midnight haired girl's ears twitched at the sound of Shizuru's body turning around. She felt a hand on her back and immediately shuffled her body towards it until she was engulfed by Shizuru's body. The brunette's arms snaked around her firmly and tucked Natsuki further against the soft body behind her. The emerald eyed girl was much too aware of the electric jolts pulsating through her skin.

"Mmmm" hummed Shizuru contently nestling her nose in Natsuki's hair "Maybe this will help"

It did, Natsuki could feel a huge weight of exhaustion hit her and immediately began to nod off. Unfortunately Shizuru was not in the same situation.

Emerald eyes shot open as Natsuki felt a hand snake under her shirt from beneath her waste

"Sh-Shizuru?" gasped Natsuki "W-what are you doing?" she squirmed as Shizuru's left hand tightened her hold around Natsuki's waste bringing Natsuki closer whilst the other continued to weave underneath the bike loving teenagers shirt.

"Shh" whispered the twenty one year old and Natsuki halted in her restraint. Shizuru's spare hand grip her waste tighter so that Natsuki was exactly where Shizuru wanted her to be.

"S-stop" begged Natsuki

Natsuki was lifted so that her back was now on top of Shizuru's front pressing against Shizuru's stomach. Shizuru's left arm was now snaked around Natsuki's own chest while her left hand held Natsuki's shoulder so the girl couldn't move.

The emerald eyed girl shuddered in pleasure or discontent. Natsuki wasn't quite sure what she was feeling, all she knew was that Shizuru was touching her skin.

"Shizuru please…" uttered Natsuki

Shizuru was being way too forward… something wasn't right… Shizuru had never been like this before… Shizuru had only ever wanted to be Natsuki's friend… right? If she wanted to cross the line she would have kissed Natsuki on her lips… not crossed the Great Wall of China and try groping Natsuki's innocence away.

Natsuki immediately hit the soft bed with Shizuru now prowling over her licking her lips hungrily. Emerald eyes stared into dark foggy crimson before staring at Shizuru's mouth as it came ever closer. Natsuki's heart was pounding; she felt trapped, unable to escape Shizuru's advances and before she knew it Shizuru's lips pressed onto the left side of her neck.

At first the lips were soft and gentle; brushing Natsuki's skin and causing the younger girl to squirm and let out a soft moan "Sh-Shizuru" but then a tongue began to trace along Natsuki's jugular and Shizuru latched onto the supple skin; sucking and tugging at it.

Natsuki squirmed and wriggled her legs; rubbing her thighs together as she tried to fight the discomfort of the situation. When she attempted to use her arms to push Shizuru off the red eyed seductress forced Natsuki's hands down onto the bed; locking them down with her own.

Suddenly Shizuru bit down… not the kind of playful love bite that Natsuki expected and not the kind of rough love bite either… but more like a hungry and aching… _bite_.

Natsuki cried out in pain and suddenly saw that blood-craver leaning over her while she lay on the concrete at the dock. The creature bit her but Natsuki was brought out of her reverie when the mouth assaulted her neck stopped and the body on top of Natsuki's vanished.

When emerald eyes opened Natsuki found Shizuru in the corner of her room curled up with her arms wrapped around her knees and back against the wall. Her chestnut locks had fallen over face and her shoulders were shaking.

The midnight haired teen sat up and looked at the girl from afar not sure whether to approach her or not. At the same time Natsuki's hand reached up and touched her neck to find that she was actually bleeding. She touched her neck again with her right hand and looked at her palm to find that it was smeared with a very thin layer of blood. A whimper was heard in the darkness and green eyes returned to that figure in the corner.

Natsuki got up and made her way to Shizuru, it was pure instinct to go and reassure her most precious person that it was okay. When she reached Shizuru, Natsuki crouched down beside her. The emerald eyed girl saw Shizuru's tears from between those soft chestnut stresses and immediately felt so weak. On impulse Natsuki reached out with her right hand and the whimpering stopped before she even reached Shizuru. Before Natsuki knew it Shizuru had grabbed her hand and was now licking the blood off of her palm as if she had been starving for three days and the liquid was the most amazing meal she had ever tasted. Natsuki gasped as that tongue slipped between her fingers and the licking stopped. Shizuru shot up and walked around Natsuki taking three steps back.

"Natsuki… what… what am I doing?" questioned Shizuru traumatized and stunned at her actions "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Natsuki swallowed not sure how to answer "I… I don't know Shizuru, you must still be unwell" Yeah that was it. Shizuru was still recovering from her wounds and every Hime reacted differently right? "Maybe we should go to bed now; I think you will feel much better in the morning"

The midnight haired girl approached Shizuru once again and lead her back to her bed; tucking her in gently before making her way to the other side of the bed. Just before she was going to climb in Shizuru spoke.

"No Natsuki" she said alarmed "…I think it's best if you go back to your room…"

Natsuki felt a pang of hurt in her chest but didn't know why. Shizuru had just bitten her neck and licked her hand clean of blood and she still didn't find that a turn off? What was wrong with her? The emerald eyed teen reluctantly nodded and went to the door whispering one last goodnight to her precious person.

...

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><p>...<p>

Yes this was basically a flash back chapter! I hope no one is disappointed. This hopefully should explain a lot more about the current situation. Of course I decided to introduce new characters which means I have to explain what happened to them or where they are etc and I still haven't explained much about the last characters…. SIGH…. Writing is too complicated!

Note: Haruka is the substitute Hime for Mai

**Please REVIEW!** Let me know what you think! Do you like it? Hate it?

The last half of the chapter was a bit rushed. So sorry about that

This was originally going to be two chapters but I thought I would treat you guys to an either very annoying or welcoming long chapter - that is also why the dialogue etc seems to change half way through because I always say 'I'll go back to that part and edit it' but I never do... =_= ... damn me and my reliance on my future self!

NEXT CHAPTER: A Newborn's Wrath


	4. A Newborn's Wrath

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai Hime or the characters! Sunrise does! This is purely a fanfic in appreciation for these amazing characters that many have fallen in love with.

Summary: Watching the one you love die because of you is probably the worst burden you can obtain throughout this life. Well… hunting them down afterwards to stop mass murders and bloodshed is a whole other story…

Sorry for such a late update guys, been really busy with uni! Trying to keep up with 7s I got going on!

Thank you so much for your reviews! Seriously, I know a lot of fanfic writers say this but they really mean it. Your reviews fuel us. I know there are fanfic writers out there reading this as well and I really appreciate it!

So now I will literally be checking my email and fanfiction for reviews for the next week or so… well 24/7 really.

Enjoy and please review!

...

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

Just Yesterday Part 2

**A Newborn's Wrath**

By GrimaThanEvil

...

It was just yesterday when we first began to fall in love…

And it was just yesterday when I began to lose you…

...

Bright green eyes stared out of the window into the darkness; the rain reflecting through their sharp colour. Thick rubber tires swept along the concrete cutting through the wet as the jeep Natsuki was currently seated in echoed in loud silence. The large warehouses seemed to surround Natsuki like giant skyscrapers and the more she peered out the window into the darkness the more vulnerable she felt. Her eyes searched the sky for any sign of light, an airplane, helicopter or stars, but all she could see were dark murky clouds slipping over the tall unnatural buildings. Out of the corner of her eye she sensed a presence. Someone was with her but she could not work out who it was. No matter how hard she tried to look to her left and identify this entity it was futile. Her body refused to move, her eyes refused to budge in that direction. They were so close but just out of her reach; an unsettling shadow in this terrible scene. The jeep came to a halt and although Natsuki's green eyes could not identify the individual they picked up their movement. The figure shifted and the jeep lights flicked on engulfing a shadow in its path.

Natsuki's mother stood in the jeeps light reaching out towards them. Green orbs stared back into those eyes so identical to their own. A white lab coat smeared with blood and growing ever damper in the rain adorned the woman. Her skin was pale and covered in dirt and scratches. Her lips moved but Natsuki could not hear her, her hand stretched out, fingers uncurling as if trying to grab at them; reaching out for aid, trying to hold on to life.

'Help me' she mouthed staring at Natsuki with empty eyes; dull and hollow. The longer Natsuki stared into those eyes the deeper she fell, the deeper she slipped into the unknown.

Natsuki blinked and found herself staring at her own out stretched hand; she looked beyond it at the bright jeep lights penetrating her sensitive eyes, finding herself in her mother's previous position. Was she her mother now? Or was she Natsuki?

Her heart started to beat faster as an uneasy feeling enveloped her body. She noticed how hard the ground felt beneath her feet. Odd, but that was something that seemed to stand out to her. The air was cold and biting but Natsuki did not feel it upon her skin; she just knew it. Something soft grabbed her arm but she did not move. She did not feel it but it happened. It was behind her, what was it?

Delicate fingers enveloped her wrist and a familiar smell entered her nose and she knew. She knew exactly who it was. Thousands of bright lights seemed to explode inside her being. She could not explain how happy she was at this moment. All the fear disappeared from inside her and all she felt was warmth and happiness; safety.

The jeep lights infiltrating her vision seemed so very meek now. The darkness surrounding her and the tall skyscraper warehouses were now meaningless. Her feet moved automatically and she followed them willingly. Her body twisted around and the hand disappeared off of her skin like fog. Natsuki was ready to feel that warm embrace; ready for Shizuru to envelop her. But what stood behind her was not Shizuru. It was a monster… a craver looming down over her. Its freakish eyes watched her hungrily; they were glowing and to Natsuki they were brighter than any high beams. Its brown flesh seemed to lighten up from the back, and its long limbs just hung at its sides. Sharp jagged teeth protruded from its thick lips and it seemed to hum deeply inside its chest. That thrumming sound hit Natsuki like a wave. Immediately her heart was hammering and trying to escape from the safety of her chest. She could not move and her eyes refused to budge.

She blinked

A Mistake.

The cold hard ground was now against her back and the craver was now right over her. Natsuki stared into those hungry eyes and soon found herself trapped. Her vision became blurry and when it returned she found herself staring down at her own face. She was now the monster that was about to tear into her flesh and the worst part of it all was that she wanted too. She loomed over herself not recognising that it was in fact her own body, it was a meal, it was flesh, it was bone, and it was sustenance. Her large claw like hand landed right next to the cobalt haired girl's face. She hummed in her chest and growled hungrily.

Suddenly her body was sliced in half; the craver body.

Natsuki was now herself again and she stared at the craver slopped to the side. Green orbs looked up to where the monster once was and Shizuru stood in its place. For a moment Natsuki was uncertain, those red eyes held an emotion she did not understand. It was not the warm Shizuru, the radiant Shizuru or the gentle Shizuru. It was the strong, brave and angry Shizuru… covered in blood. Natsuki leapt up without a second thought and enveloped her in a hug, she held onto the chestnut haired woman not caring that her clothes were being stained, not caring that something else was out there, and not caring that the shadow in the jeep was staring at them. She wanted Shizuru close, wanted to know this was real that Shizuru was alive… that Shizuru was safe.

Natsuki spoke but as the words left her lips she had forgotten what she had said. It had been a statement at first then a question. What was it again? Why was Shizuru not replying? Natsuki opened her eyes and pulled away from the object of her affections. She looked at Shizuru and realised her greatest fear had come true. Bloodthirsty eyes stared at her hungrily and Shizuru's fangs sunk into her neck. It was so quick Natsuki barely had time to breathe in or gasp. She cried out in pain. Tears fell down her face as she screamed out to Shizuru begging her to stop. Not because Natsuki was dying but because Shizuru was at risk… Shizuru would die. The emerald eyed girl did not remember the words as they left her lips. She felt the body holding her become cold and the hands grabbing her become stiff and glassy as Shizuru began to turn to ice.

The ice shattered into thousands of tiny specks of dust and Natsuki found herself in complete darkness.

Alone…

A drop of water hitting a surface pricked her ear on the left; another on her right.

Drip. Drip.

Before she knew it rain poured down all around her; rain she could not see. She was all alone in the darkness.

Alone…

She closed her eyes

She screamed

-0-0-0-

Instead of waking up from her nightmare with her heart beating rapidly, breath rabid and mouth agape emerald eyes peeled open slowly at the constant sound of rain outside. Natsuki's room was cool and dark …so she concluded that it was early… a time where Natsuki preferred to be sleeping. But sleep had not been kind to the emerald eyed teen. Ever since the last few months' events the eighteen year old had not gone a night without nightmares. She dreamt of those creatures that she had encountered at the harbour; she dreamt of them tearing away at her flesh; she dreamt that she was her mother and that they slowly ate away at her; she dreamt… she dreamt…. And dreamt…. But there was never one peaceful dream. Unfortunately those were not the only crazy events that had occurred lately in Natsuki's life… the latest happened a few hours ago… in a room just down the hall… a room that belonged to none other than Fujino Shizuru.

Green orbs stared up at the ceiling deep in thought… Natsuki lifted her hand up to her neck and traced the wound that now lay there. Its surface had already become clean and it was almost fully healed. Her eyes closed and last night flashed before her like a vivid dream. She saw Shizuru's lips hovering above her; she felt the warmth of Shizuru's body on top of her….

Natsuki squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and rolled onto her side unable to bare the memory. Shizuru had been strange… very strange… she had tasted Natsuki's blood. Those eyes had looked so hungry yet so loving, so needy yet so secure. Of course it was impossible for Shizuru to actually become a creature of the night since she was a Hime right? If she had turned then Natsuki's own flesh and blood would have killed her. Shizuru could not possibly be one of those things because they were so ugly… so rotten… and Shizuru was so beautiful and intoxicating… and… and…

With a sigh to end her uncontrollable thoughts Natsuki sat up and placed her feet onto her carpet slowly. She sat there for a moment and ran her eyes over to her clock which read; 6:00 am. For the first time in her life she was going to be on time for school… it dawned on her that today was the day of graduation…

Her face fell and she bolted over to an old calendar and stared at it, she had stopped counting the days ever since she left with Shizuru. Cursing she checked her phone and realised that the battery was dead.

A continuous amount of growls of frustration and cursing echoed throughout the Fujino estate, while Fujino Jun, Shizuru's mother, sat and calmly drank her tea. Her eyes closed and features portraying utter calmness. Opposite her however, her husband, Hideo, pulled his mouth into a thin line with worry; watching his wife for any sign of rage with wide eyes. He knew his wife was very concerned about Kuga Natsuki's constant oaths and swearing. Very concerned as in on thin ice, he was as well, but it did not concern him as much when there were no guests present. However, Kuga Natsuki could potentially affect the Fujino name. Most of the business families and important companies already saw her as a lost cause, but Hideo knew Jun did not care. In her eyes everyone noticed it and everyone commented on her discipline methods, since Hideo was head of the company, Jun was the one that dealt with the 'daughters'.

There was a yell in the building next door, signalling that Natsuki was making her way through the entire estate, lord knew why. The screaming of the servants could be heard as she rampaged along…

Jun's eyes snapped open and a servant in the room flinched. The woman snapped her eyes towards said servant and ordered the girl to retrieve Kuga-san immediately.

An hour later Natsuki found herself in a traditional kimono on her knees opposite Fujino Jun. Her ankles ached and knees hurt from sitting in the same position for at least twenty minutes. The older woman proceeded to crush tea leaves while emerald eyes watched intensely trying their hardest to concentrate. Next it was Natsuki's turn, who, with shaking hands attempted to crush the leaves in the same way Jun had. She managed to fail miserably and the tea leaves flaked off of the side creating a mess. The midnight haired girl gulped under the intense glare of the older Fujino and knew she was in for it this time. She expected Jun to scold her, to lecture her about proper etiquette and manners, and the 'inside voice' but to her surprise the woman said something else entirely.

"Your mother and I went to the same school…" commented the woman and Natsuki's hands froze, her emerald eyes stayed low however and after a moment of silence the midnight haired teen continued her work and Jun continued to speak "Never before had I seen such a strange human being, I once thought, how anyone could be so different. How could anyone be such a fool when it came to manners and tradition?"

Silence

"I was very young back then" continued the Fujino "My being had been so filled with what my parents deemed right and wrong that I could not even speak my own mind. I have done so to Shizuru as well."

Emerald eyes looked up to find Fujino Jun's eyes mirroring such pain. Natsuki had no idea what to do; her heart seemed to tighten at the expression on the woman's face.

"Do you think me evil Natsuki?" asked the woman her eyes dark and unknown "At first I had thought your presence was a thorn at my side, a bother to Shizuru's bright future under Searrs, a hindrance to the name Fujino… so I tried to conquer you, to break you, yet here you are failing at such a simple task; crushing leaves"

Fujino Jun tried to smile at Natsuki's defeated expression

"It seems no matter how hard I try, I too am destined for failure. Failure always creeps through the crevices of your mind Natsuki, it is hard for someone like myself to accept such a fate, but unfortunately the reality of this fate keeps bringing itself before me", Fujino Jun locked eyed with the emerald as she spoke "You may succeed but at some point in your life, you will realise that your success can only stretch so far. Only then will you realise that you should have allowed yourself to fail at simple tasks in order to succeed in those that are most important to you"

Natsuki was not quite sure how to react, was Fujino Jun complimenting her? Or was she insulting her?

"I have spent my life perfecting the smallest of things Natsuki, yet here you are just like Saeko-san, with no care for tradition, no acknowledgment for proper etiquette and I cannot help but wonder" uttered the Fujino "Where will your life lead you? You must understand that I cannot simply_ hope_ you will succeed. _Hope_ does not bring you success Natsuki, that is the way I have been raised and no matter how hard I may try I cannot change my past and my methods"

Fujino Jun's gaze became rock hard "Evidently, it has become clear to my eyes that you, Kuga Natsuki, seem to be influencing Shizuru greatly. Never before has she disobeyed my commands, gone against Searrs regulations or dared to ignore her father's instructions. So tell me, is this because of Saeko-san's methods or is it because of mine?"

Natsuki stopped her work and sat there quietly waiting for Jun to continue. Images of that night flashed before her eyes, the warehouses, the dock, the jeep, Chie and Haruka yelling… Shizuru… the cravers all around her… it was all Natsuki's fault. If Natsuki had not become so needy towards the chestnut haired woman… if Natsuki had not wanted to go with Shizuru wherever she went… if Natsuki had not fallen in… fallen in love with Shizuru… then none of this would have happened "No…" mumbled Natsuki "…it was mine, it was my fault"

Jun stayed quiet for a moment and watched the emerald eyed girl, but Natsuki refused to look at her.

"I have worked hard to protect Shizuru and I do not think you see how greatly you have impacted on her future," continued Jun after a long silence. Natsuki could feel her eyes watching her with such intensity, waiting for Natsuki to interrupt her, any excuse to attack Natsuki's behaviour would satisfy this woman if only for a moment, "Searrs is the greatest most powerful corporation in the world, for Shizuru to disobey their rules, their regulations, is a great disgrace, it does not only affect the Fujino name, but Searrs as well, now they must answer questions Natsuki; serious questions. Why did one of their greatest Himes face death? Why, with such a promising career, did their number one Hime fail?"

Natsuki put the tea leaves down on the table in front of her and stared at them, her eyes searched the tiny fragments in the hope that would give her something; anything to explain to Jun how it was not her fault. But everything Jun said was true; it was Natsuki's fault for Shizuru's injuries. There was nothing the cobalt-haired teenager could do or say to take it all back.

Jun exhaled loudly and emerald eyes flicked up "I suppose this was bound to happen…" she spoke softly, to herself or to Natsuki the green eyed teen was not sure "Shizuru does have her flaws, no matter how perfect she seems to be, no matter how strong she looks in your eyes, you cannot expect her to always be there risking her own name, her own life, to protect you Natsuki. I fear that you have already tainted her behaviour and I fear that it was already bound to happen before you even stepped foot on Fujino manor"

Natsuki could not take it anymore, she slammed her palms on the table but Jun did not flinch. Her green eyes glared at the woman opposite her with great intensity "How dare you speak of Shizuru like that!" yelled the teenager. Natsuki was so angry, so confused, so frustrated. Why would Shizuru's mother say such things? This was… ridiculous. She was Shizuru's mother. Natsuki's mother would never say such a thing, Natsuki's mother always supported Natsuki's decisions and even her mistakes, "Shizuru is strong, Shizuru is perfect, and her _flaws _are what perfect her! Everything she does brings her further and further above the line of perfection it is impossible for _you_ to even reach her!" Natsuki spoke each word with venom "Someone like you could never understand, you fall so perfectly into the slots your own parents have made for you, you're not even your own being anymore, you're just a chest piece on a board, waiting, waiting to be _sacrificed_ for the good of the game! How can you even think Searrs' reputation is more important than your own daughter?"

Silence lingered

"It is strange… that you speak of sacrifice" commented Jun calmly "…maybe one day, when you understand the meaning of that word, you will realise everything I have done for Shizuru and everything she has destroyed for you, Natsuki"

-0-0-0-

The sleek black car Natsuki was now in held a loud silence. She was painfully aware of Fujino Jun sitting on her left. The emerald eyed teen did not know how this happened but apparently the woman wanted to watch Natsuki's graduation. Maybe the older Fujino wanted to see Natsuki standing and waiting there for eternity. Natsuki could see the smile on Shizuru's mother's face when the teenager's name would not be called out. To make matters worse Natsuki had not seen Shizuru the entire morning. The cobalt haired girl had no idea where Shizuru was. Her room was empty so she had guessed the crimson eyed goddess had been called out on another mission.

Emptiness swallowed the bike loving teen's chest. Shizuru had not said goodbye or even woken Natsuki to wish her good luck. The chestnut haired woman had promised Natsuki that she would be there for her graduation but the emerald eyed teen guessed that Shizuru had to deal with Searrs. That thought made Natsuki feel even worse. Fujino Jun's words echoed through her mind 'sacrifice' Natsuki truly had no idea what that meant. Natsuki had not sacrificed anything in her life. Her mother had sacrificed herself for something, for Searrs, for the Himes, for humanity. Yet Natsuki had done nothing her entire life. Shizuru had even sacrificed herself for Natsuki… what did Natsuki do?

All she could do was run. Run like a frightened, weak, insignificant mouse.

Before Natsuki knew it, students all around her were yelling with excitement, crying, laughing and even some had mutual expressions. The emerald eyed girl made her way through the crowd ignoring the voices that called out her name, ignoring the sounds of happiness and joy. Their high school life was over and now it was off to university. Unfortunately for the bike loving teen she could not express the same amount of joy everyone else emitted. Now that graduation was over she would join Searrs as a Hime.

During the ceremony she had searched and searched for Shizuru, amongst the staring faces, but had been unable to meet the chestnut beauty's gaze, yet alone find it. Her thoughts lingered on Fujino Jun's words as she made her way out of the front gate and waited for her ride. The older Fujino had left early. Natsuki had spotted her making her way out rather quickly after the green eyed girl received her certificate. This made Natsuki feel even more uneasy, the look on Jun's face was not one of satisfaction; in fact it looked angry, confused and even a bit surprised.

Natsuki guessed that her ride would take some time and as she waited the crowd began to disperse until she was the only one left. The teenager frowned angrily and looked up and down the road, the bastards had forgotten her! She cursed and decided that the only way she would get back is on foot.

Later...

Natsuki's sneakers hit the pavement of the footpath painfully. She rubbed her hands together and placed them to her lips puffing warm air onto her palms for warmth. It was going to be another hour before she reached the gates of the Fujino Estate. Next time she would charge her phone and not travel with Fujino Jun. Night blanketed the sky and a cold wave had swept through the town. Natsuki placed her hands in her jacket pocket and watched the road for any sign of headlights. It was very quiet all around her; all she could here was the scrapping of her heels on the concrete and the rustling of leaves. She sighed deeply and as she exhaled she whispered Shizuru's name.

The twenty one year old was always on her mind, especially after last night. At that thought Natsuki unconsciously touched her neck again, her skin felt soft and smooth. There was no sign of any mark or wound anymore, nothing that could support what Natsuki had witnessed. Which was another perk to being a Hime; increased regeneration, if only it worked for memories as well.

Drip

Natsuki came to a halt and stared at the dark spot on the pavement

Drip

Emerald eyes frowned and Natsuki knew it just was not her day.

It began to rain. It was an understatement of course. It was storming. Rain was pouring down in mass waves and the bike loving teen was exposed to it all.

Quickly she began to run as fast as she could in order to escape the typhoon.

Her eyes narrowed as she tried to see through the falling water droplets; like bullets against her skin. She turned a corner and ran down an old road. She decided she would take the forest trail. It was longer but the tree canopies would protect her body from the downpour.

Twenty minutes later she was walking in between bushes and shrubs, up a small hill and along a dirt path. She cursed at the state of her shoes. They were covered in dirt and permanently stained brown.

An hour later…

The dirty brown sneakers came to a halt at a wall. It was smooth and grey and its edges decorated and carved with swirling patterns. Natsuki stood there for a moment wondering how she was going to get over this new obstacle. Rain pelted down onto her shoulders but it had no effect. Her clothes were already so drenched and heavy from the water, the rain seemed insignificant. The quickest way to get to the nearest building was over the wall and if she could not manage that then she would have no choice but to go all the way around. A nearby tree caught her eye and she made her way over to it running her gaze up and down its branches. With a grunt she began to climb. At first she fumbled and could not get a good grip. The rain had soften the bark of the tree trunk and made it ever so slippery. Natsuki's wrinkly wet hands did not help her in her attempt either. Cursing as she finally made her way onto a firm branch she stretched out her arm to the next one. It was an odd looking stump, crooked and broken at the end. A sudden breeze caught her off guard and she held onto the thick trunk to stay balanced. Once the wind had stopped blowing she released her firm and desperate hold and grabbed onto the broken branch. Hoisting herself up, she was almost at her target. A long thick branch curved and shaped like a curling hand. It was just sitting above the wall so it would be Natsuki's only option. Unfortunately as Natsuki reached out to grab it she realised it was just a few centimetres too far. With determination in her eyes she forced herself up onto her feet. Her knees were shaking nervously but she paid them no mind and with a kick off she jumped and grabbed onto the branch. Her arms stretched over it and it nestled right under her armpits. Her feet dangled in mid-air and she scrambled around trying to pull and push herself up.

Once she got on the branch she straddled it and slowly made her way out to its tip. Carefully she swung herself down and aimed for the top of the thick wall. She let go. Her foot landed firmly on its stony surface but the other slipped and she fell forward into the rose garden. Natsuki growled and cursed as she stumbled out, rubbing her cheek after it had been pricked by a thorn. She could feel the tingling sensation all over her skin as well. She could not wait to get inside and have a warm shower but most of all yell at Fujino Jun for leaving her without a way home.

Stomping her way through the garden pass a building and into the courtyard Natsuki made her way to the main household. She slid the door open and walked in not caring that her shoes were muddy and that she was dripping water all over the expensive wooden floor. She kicked her shoes off, pulled off her socks and looked down the hallway. None of the lights were on and it was dead quiet. In fact Natsuki had not noticed any lights at all when she had made her way into the Fujino estate. Frowning she took off her jumper and tossed it next to her shoes. The servants could deal with her mess later. Sighing she walked towards the bathroom not really caring if she was missing out on dinner.

After passing a number of doors Natsuki grew suspicious. She had not encountered any servants or anyone at all.

She stood in a wet puddle and froze.

The liquid coated her toes a dark colour and her brows knitted together. The pool of water came from her left and ran under the door to the study. Carefully she opened the entry quietly and peeped inside. A desk sat on the far side and another entry on the far right. The walls were covered in bookshelves and a few old chairs were placed on the left wall. Her emerald eyes squinted through the crack and she spotted a figure sitting at the desk slumped over. It was unlike Fujino Hideo to sleep at his work desk… she opened the door wider and there was a gasp on her right.

It was not a gasp of surprise or astonishment; it was a wheezing, strained and painful gasp that sounded clogged up and drowning. Natsuki flicked on the light and it flickered a very dull glow.

Then all the pieces fell into place because what Natsuki saw was not Hideo sleeping… it was Hideo covered in red. The water she was standing in was not water at all, it was blood and the gasp on her right was coming from Fujino Jun. The woman was on the ground surrounded by a pool of red liquid, her face was smeared in red and she coughed out a dribble of blood. She looked at Natsuki with blank eyes. Those eyes flickered and seemed to come to life at the site of the midnight haired teen. Emerald eyes stared in horror as Jun lifted her hand up trying to reach for Natsuki.

Images flickered in her mind about her dream and her mother reaching out to her.

"N-atsuki…" wheezed the woman and at the sound of her voice the bike loving teen was on her knees in blood with Fujino Jun in her arms. Emerald eyes scanned the pale face for something, anything. An explanation. But when none came Natsuki had to ask it verbally.

"What happened?" demanded the green eyed girl "What happened?"

Impossible… Fujino manor was surrounded with elite guards, protectors. Where were they? How did Natsuki even get in so easily? She was so stupid! Of course there had to be something wrong no way could she enter Fujino estate without being stopped or spotted.

"…I am sorry…for those things I said to you" whispered the Fujino "…you must – pause – understand e-ver-ything w-we did was for S-shizuru's sake… we loved her very dearly… I thought I would never have a child…such a beautiful child… so I h-had n-no choice…"

"It's okay Jun-sama I understand" cried Natsuki "Just… stay with me okay? You are going to be alright"

Then Jun's eyes widened and she whispered something "-un" she uttered it so softly Natsuki could barely hear her

"Run… Natsuki"

Natsuki frowned at her and watched the woman's eyes flicker to behind the emerald eyed girl. Slowly the midnight haired teens head turned and stared at the figure in the doorway in disbelief.

And the world came crashing down.

-0-0-0-

When Natsuki's mother died… she believed it was the greatest pain she would ever feel in her life. A large empty void was left in her chest. Only now did she realise that it was not losing her mother that would cause her the most pain in her life; it was losing that person that filled that empty void… all those hollow spaces in Natsuki's heart. Worst of all, that person, would be walking among the living… an empty void themselves.

"S-shizuru?" gasped Natsuki placing Fujino Jun down gently. The emerald eyed teen jumped up and faced her injured companion. Shizuru stood in the doorway, her eyes and face expressionless, but her entire body was covered in blood. She was pale, very pale and it worried Natsuki. The teenager grew even more worried when Shizuru's expression showed one of pain and fear. She took one step forward in an attempt to go aid her but something grabbed her ankle. Green orbs looked down to find Fujino Jun gripping onto Natsuki's joint with as much force as she could muster.

"D-don't go n-near her-r" croaked the woman and Natsuki's head snapped up to look at Shizuru. The woman was no longer frightened or in pain, her face was completely blank and she was standing up straight and confidently. Something about Shizuru seemed…. Different.

Natsuki's eyes widened as the object of her affection smiled and let out a giggle. It happened so fast Natsuki only blinked; Shizuru appeared right in front of her. Her eyes were red and full of bloodlust. But what shocked Natsuki even more was that there was a figure between Shizuru and her acting as a barrier. Fujino Jun gasped in pain. She had leapt in front of Natsuki with the last bit of her strength. Shizuru's hand had hit her stomach and clawed its way through her flesh. The older Fujino coughed up a pool of blood and slumped to the ground.

Shizuru glanced down at her mother's body like it was nothing, her expression was so emotionless and void. Her eyes flashed upwards and locked on to Natsuki and emerald orbs stared into those dark and empty red eyes searching for a glimmer, a sign that this was still Shizuru, but all they found was nothingness. Natsuki watched as Shizuru lifted up her bloody hand and licked the red liquid up in one thin line. Natsuki took a step back and shook her head at the sight of her friend. Her eyes were wide and teeth clenched as she tried to accept this reality.

Shizuru dropped her hand to her side and tilted her head with a smile painted on her expression "Na-tsu-ki" she slurred and lifted her hand up, slowly, with its palm outwards. Her finger curled up as she beckoned Natsuki to step towards her "…you look cold, come here"

A moment passed before the emerald eyed teen actually felt her body lean slightly forward. This motion frightened her and she had to second guess herself as she examined this cruel lifeless being before her; this monster. Shizuru's body was still the same, her shape had not changed at all, and in fact it had become more exotic. Her hair was a slightly darker brown and her skin paler beneath all the blood, but other than that there was no sign that she had changed at all; physically.

Natsuki closed her mouth and took another step back and at this action Shizuru's inviting expression changed. Her dark red eyes narrowed and her head lowered at the teenager's refusal. Natsuki had no choice… she could never fight Shizuru… she was outmatched in every way; Shizuru as a Hime had been incredibly powerful, but Shizuru as a vampire, a creature of the night? What could she accomplish?

So Natsuki did the one thing she could do. The one thing Shizuru had taught her.

She ran.

As soon as Natsuki's foot shifted to move for the back door Shizuru moved swiftly to block it.

But Natsuki ran forwards, towards where Shizuru once was a second ago and slammed the door shut.

She had no time to stop and bolted as fast as she could. She reached the front door and stretched her hand out towards it desperately.

Just as her fingertips touched it her neck was pulled back by her collar.

Shizuru threw her down the hallway and Natsuki slid along the wood screeching to a halt at a small rise in the floor. Her arms and side burned from the friction of the wood. Wincing she looked up at the approaching figure.

"So… Natsuki has learnt well" uttered Shizuru, "I am glad"

Every step the Kyoto-born seemed to make echoed in Natsuki's ears and made her heart thump harder. Emerald eyes watched each step hit the floor in slow motion but the teenager could not will herself to get up.

"_Whatever Shizuru!" uttered the cobalt haired girl kicking the water on the footpath "You say that all the time and I never finish, you always catch me! Why can't you just lose for once baka?"_

"_Ara that would defeat the purpose Na-tsu-ki" smiled the chestnut haired beauty once again, tilting her head upright "I cannot simply just let Natsuki win, then I would be worried about her safety all the time; this way Natsuki will be fast enough to get away and I will be content knowing she can outsmart her enemy" _

Natsuki forced herself up. She knew she could not outrun Shizuru but she did it anyway. She had to try. The cobalt haired teen only took two steps before the chestnut haired woman had grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. Shizuru gripped onto Natsuki's collar as the cobalt haired teen groaned in pain. Her back hit the wall hard and the likelihood of her escaping seemed so very meek now.

Green eyes opened wide at the sight of Shizuru's fangs. The teen kicked the wall desperately and at Shizuru with little effect. The creature grabbed Natsuki's throat and smirked at her weak attempts to escape. Natsuki's eyes closed in pain as she attempted to fight her conflicting mind "Forgive me Shizuru" she uttered and grabbed Shizuru's wrist with her right hand.

Crimson eyes widened. The crackling of ice coated the joint and limb quickly and the blood-seeker dropped Natsuki and hissed in pain. Shizuru's cries pierced Natsuki's heart like a thousand knives but she had to be strong. Without a second thought the teenager sprinted pass Shizuru and down the hallway again towards the front door. When the exit came into view her heart began to beat faster and faster. Fear seemed to ripple up her back, a part of her expecting to be pulled away from her freedom. As her hand gripped the door Natsuki felt a chill spread throughout her body. She opened the exit and stared into the dark rainy scene.

Instead of exiting Natsuki ran into the kitchen and decided to hide. At first she thought the pantry cupboard would be a good idea but she had seen way too many horror movies to know how that ended. This hesitation gave her less time and she would pay for it. With no time left she just slipped behind the bench as Shizuru dashed pass to the front door. The breeze from the creature's speed hit Natsuki a second later and her locks of hair shifted slightly from the movement.

The bike loving teen sat there in silence not daring to make a single move. Her will power did not even allow her to sweat. Natsuki's body was rigid and tense and it felt like an hour before she allowed herself to sigh in relief; able to breathe for once. Her eyes drifted to her left and she found two creamy legs crossed over and hanging from the top of the bench a meter away from her face.

Her green orbs shot up and Shizuru sat there, leaning back on one arm while inspecting her nails. Crimson eyes slowly moved away from the fingertips and locked eyes with Natsuki "Ara… ara…"

Frantically, Natsuki scrambled until she hit the wall. Her hand moved around trying to find something… anything…

With nowhere else to go she watched the dark empty shell that use to be Shizuru slip off the bench and walk towards her. Shizuru's hips swayed as she came ever so closer. She looked so cold, so calculating and so animalistic. The hairs on the back of Natsuki's neck stood up and her body was hit with chills.

"Shizuru…" whispered Natsuki not wanting to believe this was real. It was a dream, one of her bad horrible nightmares and she was about to wake up.

Wake up!

She closed her eyes shut as Shizuru leaned over her. Cold bloody fingers touched her chin and her face was lifted to meet that gaze.

Emerald eyes opened and Natsuki met red heartless ones staring at her with such content, such hunger. Shizuru's lips curved into a smile.

Then, Shizuru leaned towards her and Natsuki prepared for the end. She closed her eyes and felt something wet and firm touch her cheek. A lip mark sat on her skin formed by the blood on Shizuru's pale lips. The blood of Shizuru's mother, Shizuru's father and Shizuru's family was now on Natsuki's face. The reality of it all was sealed with one _crimson kiss_.

…

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><p>Thanks for reading guys! Please Review!<p>

Did you guys like it? Please give me your feedback!

Apologies for any mistakes

I would like to thank all my readers and reviewers for your support so far! Not only in this fanfic but my others as well, so thank you! You make me want to write Shiznat in so many different ways!

Next chapter: Our Game


	5. Forgetting Shizuru

**YO! An extremely long chapter to make amends for my disappearance!**

**Thanks so much for the reviews!**

**So anyway I thought about a lot of things – *gets falcon punched in the face***

**E-e-enough ch-chit-chat …. E-en-joy-joy….!**

**...  
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><p>Chapter 5<p>

**Forgetting Shizuru**

By GrimaThanEvil

…

The strange scent of alcohol swabs and the peculiar smell of disinfectant stung Natsuki's nose. The odours seemed to overwhelm her senses. There was a metallic tang in the air and the odour of different cleaners suffocated her nostrils. She felt her right eyebrow twitch. The muscles in her face awoke her sense of touch and she could feel crisp sheets over her body. Her fingers flexed and she groped the mattress beneath her, feeling the material on the pads of her fingers.

A beep penetrated her hearing and she became aware of machinery and equipment around her. She heard an automatic door slide open with a hiss and then close a few seconds later. The clicking of heels resonated on the cold hard tiles causing Natsuki to stir. She frowned slightly in her sleep and the sound of walking stopped. On instinct the girl stayed frozen, suddenly aware of the immediate silence. The steps seemed to soften now as they neared and Natsuki felt a warm hand touch her arm.

Her emerald eyes shot open and she was immediately blinded by sharp white lights and walls.

Wincing in pain the green eyed girl felt her head throb. In an attempt to shield her eyes Natsuki squinted them shut and the hand left her side. A shadow passed the end of her bed and she heard the door slide open again. It hissed loudly before clicking shut.

Forcing herself to blink the spots away the teenager looked around her realising she was in a hospital bed. To her right sat a desk with files and papers all of which were neatly placed in the desks bookshelf. Black and blue hard cover folders filled up a row on the shelf along with textbooks and old files. On the surface of the desk a few pens were scattered across forms and sheets of paper already half completed. A pencil holder stocking the rest of the pens sat on top of a blank sheet of paper with small squiggles and doodles on it. Emerald eyes gazed at the squiggles for a moment before travelling along the walls.

Diagrams of the human body decorated the paint and to Natsuki's surprise a chart of a D class blood seeker also adorned the wallpaper. The illustration seemed to morph from human to creature when Natsuki narrowed her eyes into slits. The girl sat up confused. She paused in her assent feeling an immediate restriction in her body. Looking down Natsuki stared at the bandages all over her. Frowning she pulled at one and began to unravel it. As the material slipped from her skin she found nothing their but smooth unmarred flesh. Returning to her previous task, the girl regarded the room once more. On the far left sat a curtain, obscuring whatever lay behind it; Although Natsuki could spot the corner of a trolley slightly sticking out of the veil.

Before she could make note of anything else the hissing of the door startled her. Snapping her head up, Natsuki stared at the figure in the doorway. Unexpectedly the sudden motion of her head made black smudges appear in her vision and for a moment the blurry figure before her was someone very, very familiar to Natsuki. Her head seemed to spin and the image focused and blurred as the girl's pupils contracted.

"_Shi-zuru?"_ she breathed in the faintest whisper. As she spoke the name the figure seemed to split and dematerialize. Her vision returned and in the doorway stood Harada Chie.

"Uh… Harada-san?" Natsuki's eyebrows rose in surprise. Immediately she noticed the grim expression on the woman's face, which soon turned to one of confusion. The older woman seemed as if she had lost nights of sleep and when she looked at Natsuki, an emotion seemed to reflect through her eyes. The cobalt haired teenager was never good with emotions so she could not place a word to the feeling.

Natsuki frowned at the woman's strange behaviour. Chie only stood in the doorway, not making any attempt at moving. Behind her, emerald eyes noticed a long hallway, but everything else was obscured by Chie's figure. Another presence made themselves known and Chie stepped aside. The familiar face of Doctor Youko entered the room with a clipboard in hand. She too, paused in the doorway in confusion. However, unlike Chie who just stood there, the doctor stepped inside. The memorable clicking of heels entered Natsuki's ears and her emerald eyes stayed fixated on the doctor.

"Kuga-san" uttered the doctor as she made her way up the side of the bed; her voice was soothing to Natsuki but the girl did not return her greeting she simply watched as the woman advanced taking note of her attire. The doctor wore a long white coat, a green blouse and a black skirt. She was obviously wearing heels but green orbs were unable to see them anymore. The doctor's hand touched her shoulder and slowly pushed her back down onto the bed, "You must rest; you have been out for quite some time"

The sudden touch caught Natsuki off-guard, it felt strange through the shirt she was wearing however the teenager easily submitted to the doctor's actions. Natsuki quickly became aware of Chie taking a few steps in the room. Her eyes darted from the figure on her left and back to the doctor on the right side of her bed. Natsuki noted the look Youko gave Chie; it was a look of warning. Natsuki couldn't help but think, _what the hell is going on?_

Natsuki grew suspicious and extremely confused, she could not recall how she got here or the events prior, "Where am I?" asked Natsuki locking eyes with the doctor, "how did I get here?" the girl frowned at her own questions

"Y-you don't remember?" uttered Chie, stumbling over he own words, and speaking for the first time. Her body displayed her indication of surprise, taking a slight step forward as if to balance her disbelief with action.

Doctor Youko, who had been straightening out Natsuki's bed sheets at her feet, glanced at Chie again who immediately closed her gaping mouth and stood up straight. Then Natsuki noticed something odd about the tomboy.

The emerald eyed teenager sat up defiantly, "Harada-san, what are you wearing?" she asked mumbling her own words, unsure if she should really be asking them.

Chie had a strange grey, white and gold uniform on, "You look like some kind of mecha pilot…" Natsuki smirked, "Or like you belong in star trek or something"

"A-ah" fumbled Chie not expecting any kind of joke coming from Natsuki. The odd behaviour made Natsuki wonder why the woman was acting so strange. Usually Harada Chie was a flirt and a complete tease just like…-

"It's SEARRS uniform" she explained, "It's compulsory here, or when you are working in certain fields"

"Where is here?" frowned Natsuki looking between Chie and Youko. The two women glanced at each other before looking back at Natsuki. Chie caught the teenager's gaze first and the tomboy smiled.

"I'll show you Natsuki-chan~"

Natsuki growled at her "Don't say my name like that!"

For a moment everything seemed normal, if you ignored the strange looks the doctor and Chie were giving her. Natsuki was suspicious but a part of her, deep down, blocked her train of thought. Stopped her from asking 'what happened?' and just left her with the questions of 'where am I?' she didn't question it either. A similar feeling had befallen her when her mother had passed away. It helped lock away pieces of pain she never wanted to relive. It repaired a part of her broken heart, taping it together as if it was nothing but a torn piece of paper.

Before anything else could be said the now very familiar sound of the door opening interrupted any motion for conversation. Three pairs of eyes flicked to the two figures in the doorway. One was trying to stop the other from entering, but the immediate sound of Suzushiro Haruka erupted through the walls. She was wearing a suit identical to Chie's except hers was green and white with gold linings. Yukino was on her heels trying to hold her companion back with meek effort.

"YOU!" she bellowed pointing an accusing finger at Natsuki. Youko immediately strode towards the blonde in an attempt to stop her from saying anything, but was easily cast aside. The angry face the doctor pulled was completely out of character as Haruka stormed in.

Yukino was still at her rear attempting to hold her back by the arm, but the angry foghorn yanked her arm free and pushed Youko aside as she advanced. She stomped towards Natsuki and grabbed her by the collar, "Where is BUBUZUKE?!"

Natsuki surprised at the force of the grip grabbed onto Haruka's wrists with her hands, trying to shove her away, "Bubu-zuke?" questioned Natsuki in confusion. Haruka shook her slightly and the confusion bestowed on Natsuki turned into anger, "Let go of me!"

Chie instantaneously came to Natsuki's aid and pulled the blonde off of her, holding Haruka around the chest as her arms flailed around in anger, "Fujino you fool!"

It was as if Natsuki was hit in the face with a brick wall going a hundred kilometres an hour on a Ducati. The words seemed to shut her out from reality. The scene before her was like a silent film. Haruka's mouth seemed to move but no words entered Natsuki's ears at this point.

"_Fujino you fool"_

"_Fujino you fool"_

The words sprang off the edges of her mind, cracking her composure like an icy sheet over a lake.

"_Shizuru…."_

Thought Natsuki, the sentence resonating through her head until it became ever fainter. Her eyes were wide and trembling as vivid images entered her mind.

She could see those warm eyes staring at her with curiosity, friendship and something else… something she could never understand. But those eyes soon morphed into cold, hungry empty crimson ones.

Then the study appeared before Natsuki and suddenly Shizuru's mother was gripping onto Natsuki's ankle for dear life.

Shizuru's father was slumped over the desk and blood painted the floor and walls like a canvas of ruin – Natsuki screamed.

"Aghhhhhhhhh!"

She awoke from her terrible vision holding onto her ears. The pressure she gripped her head with caused severe aches to circulate through her skull. Everyone had stopped their yelling and actions as soon as Natsuki's scream pierced through the commotion.

The pain was nothing compared to the scars and cuts sliced through her inner being and no matter how hard Natsuki squeezed to try and get the memories out of her head, they were forever burned inside her heart and mind. She screamed and screamed at the top of her lungs, echoing her pain, her agony and her anguish to the other four bodies in the room.

Natsuki suddenly became aware of hands grabbing her. She began to thrash and shriek as much as she could only to find more hands on her body. Her screaming turned into cries of affliction and torment. Someone yelled out an order and quickly Natsuki was pinned to the bed. No matter how hard she tried she could not break free. But the hands wouldn't stop her cries. All she could feel was unbearable suffering. Never in her life did she believe she could feel such hurt and such damage. The death of her mother had been the worst pain imaginable, but this… this was beyond repair. She felt the scratch and prick of a needle on her skin and her screams grew softer. Natsuki tried to yell out again but it came out as a whisper, a whisper of a name, a name Natsuki longed for, a person she should have confessed to long ago…before everything was lost. Soon her mind was calm and numb. Then there was darkness.

Soothing, quiet and undying darkness.

-0-0-0-0-

Everyone watched as Natsuki twitched in her last attempts to stay awake. Her eyes opened and closed for a few seconds until they settled and began to slowly descend. All was quiet except for the puffing of everyone's breath as they regained their composure. Chie seemed to be the first to collect herself and looked around at the others in the room. Yukino held a solemn expression and like always remained behind Haruka, like a shadow in the white light. Haruka however stared at Natsuki with her teeth slightly clenched and eyebrows frowning in shock and surprise. It was obvious that she wasn't sure what had just happened, however she definitely recognised in that moment that something big occurred and it could be seen in her expression.

Doctor Youko just leaned against the railing of the bed, trying to catch her breath. Lucky for them Haruka and Yukino were here. If they had not been, Chie did not know how they would fare with an unstable Hime.

Although, Chie was an agent of Searrs and the defence tonic constantly pumped into her blood aided in her ability to fight and protect herself. It would not last for long against a Hime. Holding Natsuki down would have been difficult, if not even more so.

The tomboy sighed in relief as Natsuki grew silent; her heart was pounding so hard after hearing those terrible screams. It took Chie a moment to even realise her pulse was so high. She looked around at her companions again and found troubled faces upon all of them. For a moment they all stood there in silence battling with their own minds. The quiet was soon interrupted by Youko who glared at Haruka. The blonde gave her an apologetic and guilty look.

"She could not recall the events Suzushiro-san" Youko stated, sending a look Haruka's way that said 'until you mentioned it', "At least now we know Kuga-san is a witness, Searrs will want to interview her immediately, I'll have to advise them"

"What about Fujino-san?" questioned Yukino quietly. The question seemed to bounce against the walls before anyone spoke.

Chie broke the silence while crossing her arms, "Well her body has yet to be found, we could only assume she pursued the group that attacked, and she is a Hime after all"

"Bubuzuke would never be so naïve" snapped Haruka "Those _things_ managed to enter Fujino Manor and kill every single agent and every single bodyguard including the Fujinos themselves. It must have been a Class S"

"You do not know that for sure Suzushiro-san" explained Youko, "Fujino-san could have ached for revenge"

Haruka's eyes snapped and locked onto Youko's "You do not know bubuzuke like I do!" she yelled "She might be an addictive tea drinker and an idiot but she isn't that much of an idiot! Besides she would _never_ leave Kuga-san behind like that. Never"

Youko sighed, "Very well, it isn't my job to deal with these things," the doctor moved around the bed and towards the door, "I'll report this incident to Searrs, Harada-san, please come by at around eight tomorrow morning. If Kuga-san has calmed down I would assume Searrs would want to discuss the incident with her, and also sign her up into the Otome program" Youko then locked eyes with Haruka and Yukino, "You two should get some rest, headquarters will need its Himes to be in shape, especially if they gain any leads" and with that the doctor left, leaving Yukino, Haruka and Chie in the room with Natsuki.

The door hissed shut and they were all silent for a moment, "This is ridiculous" snapped Haruka, "Are we really going to just standby while bubuzuke is out there?!"

"Haruka-chan…" murmured Yukino placing a hand on the blonde's arm affectionately

Chie looked at Natsuki suspiciously; "Something tells me the doctor knows more than us Suzushiro-san" the tomboy locked eyes with Haruka, "the Fujino Estate has security cameras all over the place, it is impossible for all the evidence to just be erased. Fujino Manor's cameras are directly linked to headquarters; everything that goes on is received and transmitted straight to base. It can easily be accessed by someone with Level 5 clearance… or…"

Chie and Haruka both turned and looked at Yukino whose eyes went from Haruka's to Chie's several times.

Then guilt struck her face causing her companions to stare at her in surprise.

The smaller girl with short brown hair stared at the ground ashamed, and then took two steps back

Haruka's eyes went from Yukino's face to her feet, watching the quiet girl retreat before completely losing it.

"Yukino?!" yelled Haruka in shock at the face of betrayal the smaller girl gave them. Yukino jumped at the blonde's sudden outburst, "You know!" accused Haruka pointing her finger at their companion

Chie stayed quiet partly because she was shocked herself and also with prior knowledge that she should not get between Haruka and Yukino. The tomboy watched as Haruka cornered the nervous girl, stepping closer and closer as she demanded to know why Yukino hacked into Searrs without telling her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" gapped Haruka feeling betrayed, "Why didn't you say anything?"

Yukino's resolve was breaking and she became more fragile as Haruka advanced. She mustered all her courage and glared at her companion, putting both her arms in front of her, "Stop!" she snapped, causing both women to halt immediately. It was unlike Yukino to suddenly grow a backbone.

"I couldn't tell you" explained Yukino directing her attention to Haruka; her expression was one of hurt and misperception. Yukino felt like she had betrayed her most precious and trusted person, "…because, what you want to know is ridiculous…it's absurd… impossible!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Chie raising an eyebrow

"S-Shizuru-san…" stuttered Yukino, "She… I – I just wanted to help, to see why Searrs did not report to any of the Hime crews. Why they did not mention the incident and why they did not ask us or one of the others to investigate and pursue the attackers!"

"Spit it out Yukino!" demanded Haruka grabbing the frail girl by the arms

"I didn't expect to find what I did" stated Yukino tossing her head to the side as her eyes narrowed reflecting back on the footage she had seen "It should never have happened, the serum was supposed to kill the venom, not accelerate it"

"Yukino!" yelled Haruka capturing the girl's attention

"Shizuru-san…" murmured the girl locking eyes with both Chie and Haruka "She… she is… a vampire"

-0-0-0-0-

"_Na-tsu-ki… Let's play a game" hissed the voice in her ear_

Natsuki's eyes shot open, white light penetrated her gaze and she winced at her stupidity. The ill effects of the drugs in her system made her eyes feel heavy and her frame gain the impression of a weight against her chest. The now familiar smell of disinfectant and cleaners soothed her. Although she felt out of place the safety of the hospital walls were calming. She blinked away the pain the lights had instigated and lay there for a few seconds. Her mind felt numb and strange. She guessed it was the medication they had inserted into her body.

Natsuki groaned and used all her strength to get up. She was met with resistance and then looked down in her half up position to find her arms and legs strapped to the bed. The teenager growled in irritation, huffed and fell back down on the bed succumbing to the numbness of the drugs. The meds seemed to block away the pain she felt and the urge to submit to the torture and anger within her. Now Natsuki was just left with an odd detachment. Her emerald eyes slowly glazed along the walls of the room, once again falling upon the picture of the craver. She stared at it for a long while feeling emotionless. Her staring was interrupted by that familiar door opening and her eyes locked onto her new company.

"Kuga-san" greeted Youko, stepping in and walking towards the occupant of the only bed in the room. The doctor wore the same white coat and black skirt as the other day. The only difference in her attire was that she wore a blue blouse today instead of a green one. Her heels were also identical from the last time Natsuki saw her and they resonated that same clicking sound on the tiles.

"Ah, Doctor-san…" murmured Natsuki but before she could say anything else the doctor was already unbuckling the belts around her ankles and soon her wrists. Natsuki sat up and rubbed the skin affected by the straps.

"I must warn you Kuga-san"

Emerald eyes snapped up to meet brown ones

"Headquarters wishes to interview you…" Youko eased into it carefully, wary as she spoke every word, "they know you were a witness to the incident, it is simply protocol" she touched Natsuki's arm, "they may seem… persistent, but remember, we are all here for the same reason, they only wish to aspire towards Searrs' goal" the doctor smiled at her reassuringly.

Natsuki looked down at her hands and nodded solemnly at Youko's words unable to return the doctors smile.

"Now, get dressed" ordered Youko tapping Natsuki on the shoulder, "I know you are not one for hospital beds"

"Hai" agreed Natsuki leaning back on her arms and slipping her legs out from the warm sheets. The cool air from the infirmary's aircon tickled the teenager's skin and she delicately put her bare feet onto the cold tiles. She tested the floor out with her toes as if it was ice cold water, before she felt comfortable enough to place all her weight on her feet, "ugh, where are my clothes…?" questioned Natsuki looking down at what she was wearing. It was the infirmary's patient uniform. Unlike the usual hospital gowns, Natsuki wore comfortable loose shorts and an extremely thin shirt with a collar. A logo sat on the left side of her chest hand stitched into the shirt's fabric.

"Just in there" responded the doctor nodding her head towards a door hidden in the corner where the curtains once were.

The teenager awkwardly took a step forward and stumbled slightly. Her legs felt like jelly. Youko made a motion to aid her but Natsuki held up her hand signalling that she was fine. Continuing on, Natsuki began to wonder how long she had actually been asleep for. When she made her way into the room she discovered it was a small bathroom. A shower sat in the far corner, right next to a bathtub. In front of Natsuki hung a uniform similar to Chie's but it was red and white; a new recruit uniform. She closed the door behind her and proceeded to put the one piece on.

It was a perfect fit as Natsuki zipped up the front of the zipper. She stared in the mirror at the person in the reflection and felt like she was looking at a stranger. With one last look she made her way out of the room to find Harada Chie waiting for her in the place of the doctor.

"Yo" greeted Chie with a wave of her hand, "ready to eat?"

As soon as Chie spoke the word regarding food, Natsuki's stomach grumbled and she realised how hungry she really was. The tomboy softly laughed and made her way to the door, "Let's go then Natsuki-chan~"

Walking out of the infirmary felt alien to Natsuki, she stepped out wearingly. Her emerald eyes looking around for anything suspicious, the white boots she wore seemed to blend in with the colour of the tiles and she frowned suddenly finding her shoes very interesting. When she looked up Chie was a few meters away not really paying attention to whether Natsuki was following her or not. Only when the boots the midnight haired teen were wearing echoed on the hard ground did the tomboy turn around. Chie's eyebrows rose before she smiled, "Come now Natsuki-chan" she teased "You wouldn't want to miss breakfast"

Natsuki glared at the woman, but it didn't feel right. Whatever medication they had given her made everything feeling in her body seem to tone completely down. She felt like she was sleepwalking or she was in some kind of strange dream. Her mind could not focus on what needed to be focused on. It seemed to scatter off into the distant interested in the simplest of things, like her boots and the weird lights and how many plain white tiles were in the hallway.

Natsuki looked at her uniform and teased the material between the tips of her fingers. Chie noticed this and spoke interrupting the emerald eyed teen's mindless thoughts, "That is a Hime uniform, Class C"

Green orbs shot up to meet Chie's grey ones confused as to why she was put into the same classing system as cravers. Chie noted this and continued on, "Like the blood seekers, or cravers, whatever you want to call them, we here at Searrs have classes for our own agents and our own Himes" the tomboy turned to the right effectively brushing against Natsuki and making her change directions, "Of course, there are only a certain number of Hime, however, they are all different ages. Since Hime don't really get any older than mid-twenties, which mind you I find completely convenient and too good to be true in your case, Searrs recruits them into the training program whenever they are in need of a new squadron"

"…or whenever they feel like it is necessary" added Chie looking up at the ceiling in thought, "Anyway, you will find out a lot more in your classes, if you work hard, you could complete the program in a year and be out in the field"

They both stopped at a large metallic door. Natsuki watched as Chie stepped further to the left and punched in a code on a small screen. A compartment appeared in front of her at eye level and scanned her eyes. There was a beep and Chie's name and identification appeared on a holographic screen in front of her. The door opened up to another hallway identical to the first. Natsuki looked in eagerly, hoping to find something interesting but the sparkle in her eyes died as she realised there was nothing there. So they continued on through numerous corridors.

The hallways were grey and white with railings rimming the centre of the walls all the way to the corridors end. The rails were made up of three horizontal panels; the top and bottom of the railing was grey, identical to the walls, whilst the middle one was made up of a pale white light, its bulb one single strip of unending white. Beneath their feet were smooth marble tiles, bright, pale, white and lifeless. All the same as they walked through the building in silence. It made Natsuki wonder how anyone could possibly find their way around this place. Every hallway looked identical to the last. No paintings or windows decorated the interior either. The teenager also noticed that there was no carpet or seating areas or desks or anything for that matter. It was just never-ending hallways with security doors and more security doors. Lots and lots of security doors. She was definitely getting curious as to what lay behind each and every one of them, but on a more important note, she was starving!

Just as she was about to ask Chie how long it would take to get to the food court the tomboy spoke first, "Searrs has recognised you as a Hime now Natsuki-chan" teased the woman, "You will be joining a team soon, so make lots of friends"

"Eh?" uttered Natsuki not sure on how she should respond

"Don't worry it will come naturally to you" reassured Chie as they stopped at another door. This one opened up to what Natsuki was waiting for. A giant eating area with rows of tables and chairs, the only downside to it was there were a class of people roaming around. They all wore blue and white uniforms which made Natsuki feel even more out of place; however at the corner of her eye she noticed two red and white figures sitting and eating at a table in the corner.

Chie led the way towards the serving centre and greeted the cook with a flirtatious gesture, receiving an extra serving of rice and chicken stew to her delight. The tomboy handed Natsuki the tray and told her to find a seat, "I'll return for you in about an hour" she explained and then quickly she was gone leaving Natsuki feeling lost and lonesome.

Emerald eyes looked around and spotted the red and white uniforms again. She decided to walk over to them but was interrupted by a tall figure standing in her way. She looked up to find a boy looking down at her in surprise. It seemed he too had not noticed her. Suddenly his surprised look turned into one of those expressions Natsuki would describe as a baffling idiot.

"Ugh... S-s-s-orry!" he blushed stepping aside only to bump into an older recruit and cause multiple trays to splash all over the occupants of the room as well as the floor.

"Masashi!" yelled someone angrily and the boy who had been fumbling for words in front of Natsuki turned to see the angry looks of his companions. Natsuki took this as her time to escape and quickly made her way to the other side of the room, sitting down without permission.

The two red and white suited girls stared at her, blinking in surprise at her sudden appearance, "Who the hell are you?" questioned the redhead opposite Natsuki her pale green eyes glaring at Natsuki in annoyance.

"Kuga Natsuki" muttered the midnight haired girl, "I'm… new"

"No shit" replied the vixen as if it was clearly obvious

"Nao-san!" growled the other girl and Natsuki looked at whoever she had sat next to. When Natsuki heard the scolding voice she immediately knew she liked this person, "Don't be so rude"

Emerald eyes met brown hazel ones and the girl gave Natsuki a ghost of a smile, "I'm Akira, just Akira" the girl muttered returning to a distant state after giving 'Nao' one last glare.

"Don't look at me like that Miss cross dresser" snapped the redhead causing an immediate blush to appear on Akira's face

"S-shut up!" defended the girl, before uttering softly to herself, "That was one time…"

Natsuki looked between the two unsure of what they were referring to, but interested none the less. But before she could ask or enlighten them with her curiosity the attention was brought back on her, "So, Kruger" uttered Nao pointing the bun in her hand Natsuki's way "What magic trick do you have up your sleeve?"

"It's Kuga" murmured Akira as she bit into her bun, but the redhead seemed to ignore her comment and stayed fixated on the person opposite her.

"What do you mean?" asked the emerald eyed teen raising her eyebrows

"You know…" frowned Nao, "Can you materialise ninja stars and throw darts" she explained making a throwing motion towards Akira

Akira gave Nao a pointed look but the redhead ignored her once again

"Or… can you set things on fire?" smirked the redhead slyly. Natsuki could tell the girl had strange thoughts running through her head, "…because then you could be quite useful to our agenda"

"_Your_ agenda" mumbled Akira again, quietly to herself. Natsuki wasn't sure if Akira intended for them to hear but her murmurs could be heard by both Natsuki and Nao

"I don't have any magic tricks" Natsuki frowned and Nao glared at her

"You think I'm stupid?" she snapped "You aren't wearing that uniform for nothing, besides we are going to find out one way or another. Come on. Spill the beans. Since you're dense like my old dog I'll put it straight for you. What the hell is your Hime power?"

For a moment Natsuki just stared at her, then she frowned, then stared and then she frowned again. Subsequently it hit her but not the way she had wished. It all came as a jumble of images and broken fragments. The grabbing of an arm, the icy cold feeling pulsating through her veins, the agonising scream of the one she loved wrenching away from her. The desperate running for life and freedom –

A tray fell to the ground and Natsuki snapped out of her reverie and stared at the scene before her. Nao and Akira had jumped off their seats and successfully knocked one of their trays to the ground. Everyone in the room was staring their way and the only sound that resonated through the area was the clattering of the tray and Nao's voice.

"What the hell!?" she demanded and it caused Natsuki to look around and follow the girl's gaze. The emerald eyed teen stared numbly at her hands that were on the table. An icy sheath spread out all over the metallic surface of the entire bench, all the way down towards the other occupants, whom had all gotten up in panic. Natsuki's meal was officially frozen solid and before Natsuki knew it she was roughly grabbed by the arm.

"S-sempai" uttered Akira and emerald eyes shot up to look at a glaring Haruka without the familiar shadow behind her.

Haruka glared at Natsuki silently, which was a big surprise to everyone in the room. Usually the Hime was bellowing and screaming at the top of her lungs.

In a split second Natsuki found herself being dragged down the hallway and into a room where she was thrown forward.

The teen stumbled and regained her balance turning around to look at the blonde angrily, "What was that for?!"

"For not being able to control yourself!" Haruka growled

"I didn't do it on purpose!" retorted Natsuki, "It just happened!" she threw her arms to the side trying to explain, then she raised her hands up and stared at them, "I don't know how to control it! It just… it just happened…" then to both Natsuki and Haruka's surprise tears fell down Natsuki's cheeks and her shoulders sagged.

"I… couldn't stop it!" emerald eyes squeezed shut and Natsuki curled her hands into fists. Neither girl knew what exactly she was talking about now, whether it was the incident in the food court or what happened at the estate, it all seemed to mesh together "I didn't know what to do, I felt so helpless… so weak" she began to weep and her shoulders began to shake.

For a moment Haruka had no idea what to do. She did not expect this at all. With determination on her face Haruka strode forward and grabbed Natsuki by the shoulders. Emerald eyes stayed shut but were soon wide open when a slap resonated off the side of her cheek.

"Snap out of it Kuga!" growled Haruka and their eyes met, "I never liked your presence around Fujino-san! But you and I both know she wouldn't want to see you like this!"

"It's probably the meds"

"Shut up!" bellowed Haruka pointing a finger right in Natsuki's face, "If you want to help, if you want to save bubuzuke then be strong! FIGHT! Learn to control your abilities and make a difference! The right way! Not by curling up into a ball and drowning in your own misery. Bubuzuke would never have wanted that for you!" as Haruka spoke she jabbed Natsuki in the chest with her finger five consecutive times to emphasis her words.

Emerald eyes stared at the angry Haruka for a moment, regarding her intentions, "How, how do you know that?" frowned Natsuki, "how do you know what Shizuru wanted?"

"Because it was obvious!" growled Haruka, "I knew that look in her eye every time she looked at you!"

Natsuki's eyes widened

"I knew what she wanted the moment I met you!" bellowed Haruka

Natsuki froze feeling completely ruined, but she managed to slip from Haruka's stern grip. Tears continued to fall from her eyes and Haruka looked her up and down. Wondering how Fujino had turned this girl, this girl who looked as if she had a fire inside of her, a spark, into a mere ball of sorrow and helplessness.

"I don't know exactly what happened that night" explained the blonde solemnly, "But if you want to help Shizuru then I suggest you make a decision and not mope around in your own sorrow. Unfortunately for the both of us, the decision will not be an easy one"

Natsuki turned her head to the side knowing exactly what Haruka meant. Natsuki knew it as well, but she did not want to admit it. Nevertheless she had to do it, and it was by her hand that she wanted it to be done. It was the only thing she could now do for Shizuru. The one thing that would save the chestnut haired woman from eternal darkness; death.

-0-0-0-

Emerald eyes stared at the white ceiling half open and void of emotion. The small lamp next to Natsuki's new bed flickered slightly and she slowly lifted her hand to turn it off. Her gaze never left the ceiling but her eyes were forced to blink in order to adjust to the sudden darkness. She became well aware of the crisp sheets beneath her, but could not will herself to slip under them. Her room was plain and boring; similar and as bland as the hallways, if not more.

Of course, Natsuki was not going to elude herself. She knew exactly why she was in a room like this. After the incident in the food court she had witnessed Haruka talking to a pair of woman. They had looked very influential with their fancy clothes and business faces. They had looked at Natsuki as if she was some wild irrational beast. Maybe she was…

The teenager guessed they were higher up on the Searrs ranking scale with an additional attribute of disliking Himes. It was apparent that even Haruka made them uncomfortable. Strangely enough the blonde was acting quite calm when speaking to them. Maybe the Hime knew of the punishments that could befall on her if she was to do anything rash. Natsuki wasn't sure if there would even be some type of punishment for Himes. A Searrs agent would probably be fired, but Hime's are limited.

Natsuki's lips parted and her eyes narrowed, _"Natsuki smells so good"_, she squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, trying to vanquish that voice.

How could the world be so cruel? She questioned. Then the image of Shizuru's once caring face appeared in her mind. It morphed into a pale cold illusion and it made Natsuki feel sick and ruined. She found herself clutching her sheets with her hands, her knuckles white, nails biting through the sheets into her palm.

Abruptly Natsuki sat up and rubbed the palm of her hand across her face. It seemed that no matter how much she tried, Shizuru would never leave her mind. Not even the monster she had become. In fact, it felt as if even in memory the craver was ridding Natsuki of the perfect memories she had concerning the Kyoto-born.

Soon Natsuki found herself tracing the side of her neck where Shizuru had bit her the night before the bloodbath. Vivid images replayed in front of her eyes.

"_I have been assigned to protect you, it is my first real assignment… but I promise to try my best okay?"_

"_Ikezu!" choked the chestnut haired girl "I thought Natsuki and I would be best friends from now on"_

"_Here" uttered Shizuru and before Natsuki knew it the beautiful teen was behind her. Arms snaked along her arms and soft hands cupped Natsuki's own._

"_Natsuki is most precious to me…"_

The images were soon overwhelmed by the blood smeared all over Shizuru's clothes and that empty heartless smile the woman had given Natsuki; that hungry dangerous look that made Natsuki feel like she was nothing but a meal.

Suddenly the ice Hime had the lamp in her hand and she threw it across the room. The glass from the light bulb shattered and an unfilled silence lingered. The door to her room opened and a blinding light hit her sensitive eyes. Grunting uncomfortably, the teenager looked up to find an unfamiliar face. The man wore sunglasses and a black suit. The typical secret agents look really. His face was rock hard, his eyes hidden and expression unchanged.

"You have been requested" he spoke the words bluntly and Natsuki slowly got up soon finding herself at the door that lead to the infirmary.

Her eyes flicked to the man escorting her but he never acknowledged her presence. He simply scanned a card across a red light on the wall and the door opened. He then left without a word, leaving Natsuki in the doorway. For a moment she just stood there and stared into the infirmary. To her surprise it had changed. There were now two beds instead of one, and an extra four curtains, which she guessed meant new patients had arrived and needed to be cared for.

Taking a few steps in, Youko appeared from behind a curtain. Her eyes locked with Natsuki's and for a moment she looked surprised, making the midnight haired teen feel insecure.

"Ah Kuga-san" smiled the doctor, "Glad you could join us"

Emerald eyes looked around nervously wondering about the 'us' part of the sentence.

"Please take a seat" urged Youko patting one of the beds with her hand

Natsuki did so, hoisting herself up and sitting comfortably with her legs hanging over unable to touch the ground. It reminded her of when she first met Shizuru - …._Shizuru_… - and she couldn't touch the ground from the small patio as a child.

"How are you feeling?" questioned the doctor pulling a few pieces of equipment out of a cupboard and an orange box from the freezer.

"Fine" replied Natsuki numbly, "Your meds have worn off though"

"I see" smiled Youko putting on a pair of gloves, "Well, it is understandable, and Hime's are different after all. Your body can get rid of toxins and even slow them down. Your system can recognise what will benefit you in the long run, but unfortunately, it's not too good with antidepressants" Youko gave her a sheepish smile.

Since the food court incident Natsuki had been interviewed by some Searrs employee. Youko had subscribed her a whole collection of antidepressants. However, Natsuki needed a lot for any of them to take effect. Now it seemed like her body had adapted and changed. Almost like a new strain of the flu.

Natsuki watched as the doctor grabbed her arm gently, strapped it and easily found a vein.

Emerald eyes narrowed as she watched the needle enter her arm and red liquid travel up into the tube, "So does that mean Shizuru's body thought being a craver would benefit her in the long run?"

Youko's eyes flicked up and met hard emeralds staring down at her. Their gazes stayed locked for a moment then Youko looked back down, "It is difficult to explain" she retorted, "I am not sure what happened to Fujino-san" the doctor moved away, "It would be best not to mention it to anyone, the Fujino's had a lot of respect here, even among the students, Fujino-san is well known even among the new recruits"

"Shizuru was a Hime" muttered Natsuki pulling her arm away and slipping off of the bed, "Her body… should have rejected the venom… in fact from what I know… the venom should not have even entered her body" Natsuki glared at the doctor accusingly, "Why is it that she turned and I didn't?!"

"I cannot answer that Kuga-san" replied Youko smiling sadly at the teenager

"I was bitten by those _things_" snarled Natsuki tightening her hands into fists, "-it isn't fair, why am I still here and Shizuru isn't?" _it should have been me… _

"I am trying to figure that out, along with the rest of Searrs, you have the scientists down stairs in quite a spin" answered Youko, "The blood samples we have been taking are exactly compatible with a Himes which gives them absolutely nothing to work with"

"Then what is with all the tests?"

"There is always the possibility that your body is changing at an even slower rate than Fujino-sans" by now the doctor had stored Natsuki's blood away and disposed of her equipment, "So far the results are negative, so there is nothing to worry about"

"What if they turn up positive this time?"

"If that is the case then Searrs has quite the problem. Either the Hime project has its faults, or the cravers are adapting, just like a virus" -

The hissing of the door interrupted them just before Natsuki was about to ask another question. Three Searrs recruits stood in the doorway, two supporting the other with their shoulders.

"Youko-sensei" uttered one of the boys; "Masashi-kun is really sick…" as he spoke the boy in the middle began to cough uncontrollably

The doctor sighed, "Put him over there" she ordered, pointing to one of the spare beds, "The recruits this year are worse than last year, must be all these flu vaccines all the health organisations are dishing out"

"I got sick last week but I wasn't this bad" commented one of the boys scratching the back of his neck sheepishly

No one seemed to notice Natsuki in the room.

"I didn't even feel a thing" mentioned the other, "I must have been born to take the tonic"

"What the hell is _the_ tonic?" interrupted Natsuki with a frown. The two boy's heads snapped to her noticing her presence for the first time.

Their faces seemed to pale and Natsuki glared at them

"It's similar to Himes" answered Youko while she tended to Takeda, "Except it's a temporary solution to craver venom. Searrs issues it to all the new recruits bright and early so they can get used to it"

"So what?" muttered Natsuki, "It rejects venom?"

"H-hai" replied one of the boys nervously

Natsuki ignored him and kept her gaze on Youko's back, "Why don't you guys give it to the public then?" questioned Natsuki confused, "Wouldn't that solve the whole 'turning' problem?"

"No way!" laughed one of the boys before he realised it had slipped out.

Natsuki shot him a glare and he took a step back nervously, afraid that the Hime would turn him into a human Popsicle.

"The tonic has side effects" explained Youko turning around, "Like Himes it increases youth, not to the same degree but you get the idea"

"I don't see how that is a bad thing…" mumbled the emerald eyed teen

"The idea of immortality has been debated ever since cravers first appeared" continued Youko, "Even after the Year of Blood, the war for eternal life did not cease – the doctor stopped herself and laughed at her own inside joke – "I am not a history teacher, you will find out all about these things in your classes"

"Basically the old bats that were born during the war are afraid that they will become cravers themselves!" yelled a new voice, and everyone spun around to see the new intruder. The woman's teeth shined brightly in the light, but what stuck out the most was her flaming orange hair and her casual attire. It was rare to find someone sporting jeans and a casual shirt.

"_Speak of history and she will come they said…"_ Youko whispered in the background

"So you must be the newbie!" drawled the woman eyeing Natsuki up and down with a seedy expression, "I am Suigori Midori; Hime; history teacher; forever seventeen, and at your service!" she held out a hand and grabbed Natsuki's without permission.

The introductions were interrupted by the sudden projectile vomiting of Masashi Takeda. The boy quickly threw his head over the side of the bed and Natsuki found herself being dragged out of the room by her wrist, "Well Doc!" saluted Midori "I'll leave you to it! Black beauty and I are going for a little stroll"

Natsuki stared as she watched the woman across from her in the food court down another can of soda. The redhead slammed the tin onto the table and slid it to the right to join the other ten empty drinks. The popping of the next drink cracked the tin and again, Midori sculled it down to halfway pulled it back and stared at it with disappointment, "Ginger beer isn't the same…" she mumbled, then locked eyes with glaring green ones, "hey! Don't give me that look; I'm a recovering alcoholic you know"

"Yeah you also lie about your age" muttered Natsuki crossing her arms, "… and you made me buy all these with the promise of letting me go" Natsuki pointed at the empty cans angrily

"Technically I lied about letting you go. The age thing is theoretically true" smiled Midori looking around the food court, and swinging her hand around to emphasis their environment

Natsuki looked around to find the cafeteria completely empty, besides a few brave souls in the far back corner. As far away from them as possible, "You are the _Ice Princess_, and I needed your services to keep those nosy recruits off my back" Midori began to wave her arms, "They're always like kawaii! This! …and sempai that!" she began to whine and huddled up pressing her two index fingers together, "…and I never even get the chance to talk to the Doc!"

It seemed that the older Himes were an inspiration to the new members of Searrs. They were almost celebrities in a sense. Natsuki found it weird. But unfortunately for her, she was now the scariest moving object in all of Searrs. No one would walk within a ten meter radius of her if they knew she was around the corner. Freezing the entire table that day must have been her best decision in a while. Except it didn't seem like the woman across from her was very phased by her reputation, she was a Hime after all.

"Why don't you just make an appointment…?" Natsuki questioned; slumping down on the table

"That's a great idea!" gasped Midori as if the thought had never crossed her mind.

Natsuki regretted blinking because Midori was now next to her, snaking her arm around her shoulder and gripping her into a hug.

"L-let go-!" gapped Natsuki her face turning red

-0-0-0-0-

Natsuki stepped into the large room as the door opened before her; the sudden chatter of the massive group of one hundred students fell as every eye turned to her. Without a word she walked in and turned to the left, making her way to some type of corner in the hopes to escape the looks everyone was giving her.

Her intentions were to escape any drama but it seemed fate had another plan for her. By now everyone continued their conversation, but Natsuki had the misfortune of running into her previous acquaintance. She managed to walk and stop right in front of Yuuki Nao who was talking to another girl in a blue and white uniform. The vixen turned to her and gave her a look; "Great, the Ice Princess has decided she wants to be one of us" as the girl spoke her companion met Natsuki's eyes as well.

"Sorry" answered Natsuki not sure of what else to say. To her surprise the redhead before her smirked and shifted so she was now completely facing Natsuki. Her companion behind her took this as her cue to leave.

"At least we know you have magic up your sleeve" the redhead smirked slyly; her eyes ran up and down Natsuki like the girl was a piece of meat. Nao's hand came to rest at her chin as she examined the girl causing an immediate reaction out of the now 'Ice Princess'.

The ice Hime shifted on the balls of her feet uncomfortably, "What?"

"Hmm," hummed Nao, "You have the right body too"

Unsure of how she should take this a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, not going unnoticed by the shorter Hime.

Nao leaned forward, her hands on her hips, her smile growing wider.

"That's cute" commented the vixen, "But I'd prefer sexy over cute"

Natsuki blushed harder, but the blood in her face began to boil, and her embarrassment morphed into anger, "What are you talking about?" demanded the ice Hime her eyebrow twitching

"Your abilities of course" grinned Nao and Natsuki did not like that grin at all.

"I'm not doing that!" snapped Natsuki angrily

"Doing what?" questioned Nao raising her eyebrows and feigning innocence

"Relax mutt" laughed the redhead. The sly girl slapped Natsuki on the shoulder intentionally running her finger along the ice Hime's collarbone to cause mixed emotions crawl all over Natsuki's face.

Natsuki slapped the vixen's hands away causing the redhead to chuckle and smile with glee, "Don't do that" growled Natsuki

"_Chill _out I'm just messing with you" explained the other Hime, then another sly smile appeared on her face as she realised what she said, "I mean… don't _freeze_ anything other than the lifeless"

Natsuki glared at her, "So I have permission to turn you into an ice cube?"

Before Nao could retort they were interrupted

A group of Searrs recruits appeared in front of them, all staring at Natsuki. From the middle of the crowd one was shoved forward and emerald eyes stared at Takeda who felt immediately trapped like a deer caught in headlights, _"Do it!" _yelled a voice from the group

"Ah K-k-kuga-san!" stuttered the boy, "I just wanted to say – well… that um" he scratched the side of his cheek and smiled at her nervously

Natsuki blinked and stared at him densely whilst Nao watched everything unfold in amusement

"I know this is sudden and a-all…" gulped the boy, "But I was wondering if maybe you would like to…-"

"Dude, if you're still sick get away from me" mumbled Natsuki looking the boy up and down innocently. She made note of how shaky he was, and sweaty … - well now he looked really pale.

"No no no I'm fine!" reassured Takeda waving his hands before a smug smile appeared on his face. He crossed his arms triumphantly and held his head up high, "I'm glad you are so concerned about me though –

"What?"

"- which means maybe that's a yes?" he looked at her eagerly and she stared back at him completely and utterly puzzled.

"Right…" Natsuki mumbled raising an eyebrow at him completely blind to the situation; much to a certain redheads delight

Suddenly the group behind him went wild, hands flew up in the air and kawaiis were shared amongst the crowd.

Natsuki glared at Takeda as he continued to stand there sheepishly staring at her, "Are you just going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to leave me alone?!"

"A-anything you want!" he stuttered and then he disappeared with his group of friends leaving an annoyed Natsuki who turned back to find Nao biting her lip.

Midnight brows knitted together and suddenly the redhead released her bottom lip with a snort, followed by hysterical laughter

"What the hell is so funny?!"

Nao clutched her stomach as she cackled whilst Natsuki demanded for her to stop

"Stop it!" growled Natsuki, "Tell me what the hell is so funny!"

The redhead wiped the tear from her eye and rested her palms on her knees. After a moment of recovery she stood up straight and waved her hand at Natsuki, "Nothing, nothing"

Natsuki grabbed the girl by the collar and was about to force the answer out of Nao -

"ATTENTION!" yelled a voice rupturing the chatter amongst the crowd. All eyes looked around the room, eventually focusing on an individual at the far end, "File in!" bellowed the man.

Immediately everyone parted and fell into organised lines. Natsuki looked around to find that Nao had somehow slipped out of her grip and that she was the only one out of place. The ice Hime awkwardly stepped to the left, merging into one of the lines. Her eyes scanned the crowd then locked onto her target. Nao stood four rows away from her, one row away from Akira who was effectively five rows away from Natsuki.

"Alright!" yelled the man again looking down at his clipboard and then back up again, "I am Sakomizu and welcome to Headquarters kids" he sighed and looked back down at the papers in his hands, "As Searrs operatives you will be facing dangerous adversaries; blood seekers; cravers; or in the fictional sense… vampires. I am not going to fluff this up for you – he looked up at everyone, his expression cold and hard – "You are here for a reason, that reason might be different to your peers around you, but our goals are the same; we are here to vanquish the blood cravers that terrorise our homes, cities and countries" he paused for a moment, regarding all the faces in the room

"I hope everyone here knows it isn't as easy as pulling a trigger" Sakomizu kept his eyes on the student's faces, sometimes, Natsuki noticed, his eyes would lock with a recruit and the boy or girl would stiffen.

"At times you may not even encounter a craver; you might have to get rid of the infected. It isn't as easy as it sounds. It could be an elderly couple, someone your age, a child maybe, a mother… or even someone you knew from school – the room became deafening and tense – Maybe they played soccer with you, maybe they smiled at you every time you walked into class… or maybe you use to date. It doesn't matter who they were to you in the past. You cannot let emotion cloud your judgement! We are here to protect the public and the first thing you must know about blood cravers is that once someone is infected by their venom, they will be lost to the darkness"

Natsuki's fist tightened

"The first thing a newborn will want is something familiar" he explained, "What is more familiar than their own blood, their own family and their own friends?"

"_Natsuki… let's play a game…"_

"- the lists behind me on the wall are the teams you will be allocated to. I suggest you play nice because most likely the people you are assigned to will be in your squadron at the end of your course! They will be your teammate, your backup, and your help in almost any situation," the man looked down at his watch "You have two hours before your first class, so make sure you meet your teammates and get acquainted"

As soon as Sakomizu left the room it erupted into chatter and the lines began to morph into circles and different clicks. A lot of people rushed towards the boards in the hopes of finding their name early but it looked like a bubbling mess to Natsuki. With a sigh she marched forward and the crowd parted like the red sea, too afraid to get in the ice Hime's way.

Just as Natsuki found her name, Nao appeared beside her. Emerald eyes frowned noticing that her group was only made up of three people whilst all the others seemed to be made up of five or seven.

"What are the odds!" laughed Nao

_Recruit Squad Bravo 11_

_Yuuki Nao_

_Kuga Natsuki_

_And Masashi Takeda_

-0-0-0-

Natsuki walked through the hallway with Nao slowly walking a step behind her. As they proceeded through the many corridors, they rounded a corner. A body bumped into Natsuki and she looked up to see a young girl staring at her. The girl blinked. Natsuki blinked in response.

Then you could see realisation hit the girl in the face as her expression became flustered and pale. The girl began to stutter. Natsuki just stared.

As if she encountered death itself the smaller girl lifted her arms up in the air and let out a cry for help before running down the hallway begging Natsuki not to kill her.

Natsuki who just stood there blinking realized what had happened and morphed her blank expression into one of annoyance.

Nao cackled madly behind her wiping tears of laughter from her eye.

This seemed to be the usual routine these days ever since Natsuki froze that table. No one would ever let it go. Even the vixen behind her. It was also partly because a while ago she found out she was apparently dating Masashi Takeda.

Yuuki Nao, the girl from the food court and the girl who Natsuki had strangely enough befriended cackled like it had been the funniest thing in the world every time someone ran off in another direction. Just last week, Natsuki had successfully scared the living daylights out of a group of girls talking to Masashi Takeda. The group instantly dispersed and of course, Takeda being Takeda came to the conclusion that Natsuki had done it so she could have him all to herself.

Nao had been clutching her stomach in pain from all the laughter coming out of her mouth the past few days and no matter how much Natsuki yelled at her, it only made her laugh even harder. It seemed just like Takeda, Nao did not take her threats as seriously as the rest of the world. Who the hell knows how that happened….

Natsuki's yelling had made her quite noticeable in the hallways and soon enough everything was deserted within a two kilometre radius; not a student in sight.

They made their way through a security door and entered a classroom that looked as if it was scrubbed with bleach to the whitest of whites. Emerald eyes spotted a familiar face and glared at the sheepish smile he sent her way. Cursing she made her way towards Takeda knowing full well that they had to stay in their assigned groups. Nao followed suit and once everyone was sure the Ice Princess wasn't going to kill someone today chatter spread throughout the room.

"I wonder who the guest will be today" whispered a girl in the far corner

"I heard it was going to be Haruka-sempai~" teased another causing numerous amounts of sighs and murmurs to escalate

"I wonder if Yukino-sama will come too!"

Another series of kawaiis echoed through Natsuki's ears and her eyebrow twitched angrily

"Man this sucks I wonder where Shizuru-sama is" uttered another voice and emerald eyes widened at the words

"Oh yeah!" gasped a boy from the corner, "I heard she was a goddess in person, she was really popular last year with the graduates! My brother said he and her use to date"

"No way!" screamed a few

The boy confidently crossed his arms and held is head up high, "Yeah man, wish he brought her home if you know what I mean"

"Ano…" murmured another girl from the other side of the room as the topic escalated, "I heard Fujino-sama disappeared"

"No, she was totally sent on a secret mission for Searrs" interjected another girl who seemed to be a know-it-all type

The voices rebounded through Natsuki's ears and her fists clenched angrily catching the attention of Yuuki Nao.

"H-hey didn't Fujino-sama guard the Ice Princess?" questioned another

"My brother said they made out in the change rooms you know" said the confident boy again

The teacher entered the room through the entrance as they continued talking, "Morning class, today we will be discussing –

Natsuki dived towards the boy and tackled him to the ground. All the students scattered back as she picked him up and shoved him against the wall. The boy yelped in fear, his eyes wide at the cold hearted stare Natsuki was giving him. Her fists tightened around his collar as she grew angrier and angrier.

"Don't. You. Dare. Speak. Of. Shizuru. Like. That. Again" she hissed between gritted teeth before smashing a fist against the wall, "… or I'll _kill you"_

"KUGA!" yelled a voice and Natsuki's head snap to see Chie and Haruka advancing towards her. Haruka grabbed her by the arm, tightly, and pulled her back. However, this did not make Natsuki let go of the boy in her hands.

Haruka glared at her and shook Natsuki in the hopes that she would drop the teenager but it only resulted in him being shaken as well, "Let him go!" growled Haruka.

In response Natsuki dropped him onto the ground and allowed herself to be dragged out of the classroom. Grumbling about how Haruka and Chie always seemed to be present at the most inconvenient times. Well it was convenient for the student about to face the ice Himes wrath.

Chie looked down at the boy to make sure he wasn't physically hurt. When it became apparent Kuga hadn't assaulted him she looked around at the other faces in the room. It was clear that the Fujino estate incident was not going to stay a secret for much longer. Sighing she made her way to the front of the class and spoke a few quiet words to the teacher.

Nao didn't really care about what Chie was saying, like the rest of the class. Her eyes were fixated on the retreating forms of Haruka and Natsuki. The door shut behind them but Nao's green eyes still stared at the door suspiciously.

Meanwhile Natsuki was being pulled down the hallways again by a very angry Haruka who was yelling a lot. The emerald eyed teen couldn't quite make out what she was saying, but Natsuki really didn't care at that moment. All she could think about was Shizuru. She had managed to block the feelings and pain inside her for a while now. With no whisper of her name or evidence of her existence it had been easier. But now, who knows what would happen. Maybe she would find out things about Shizuru she never knew. Such as her boyfriends and flings… just… just… how well did she know Shizuru?

Suddenly they took an unexpected turn. A way Natsuki had never been before and the emerald eyed teen found herself in some kind of arena. Haruka tossed her forward once again.

"Being a delinquent isn't going to get you ANYWHERE!" screamed Haruka, crossing her arms, "Let's see if this method will help you see the light a little better" and with that Haruka left.

The sound of the door locking caught Natsuki off guard; she had never quite heard the security engage like that before. Turning around the emerald eyed teen observed her surroundings. The dusty ground made her white boots look out of place not to mention the sudden appearance of trees and a glass roof. For the first time in a while Natsuki could see the sky. However, her fascinating discovery did not last long as a figure appeared before her. It seemed to be a regular occurrence these days. People just seemed to appear in front of her either dramatically or unexpectedly. This time it was meant to be some form of dramatized entrance but with Suigori Midori it some how seemed a little overboard to really have that affect…

However this time Natsuki did not expect a giant glaive to be ascending her way. The midnight teen dived out of the way in surprise, and stared at her tutor.

"Running Natsuki-chan~" smirked Midori, "Running isn't going to save you"

"_Na-tsu-ki, you should run now, the game is a lot more fun when I have to pursue" hissed the voice in her ear_

Shizuru…

That night when the girl had caught her. Shizuru had let her go for some sick twisted game and Natsuki had obeyed her like a frightened mouse. Always running like a coward, always trying to escape like a weak child! This time… this time it would be different. This time Shizuru would have to run from Natsuki.

So Natsuki looked at Midori and suddenly icy columns appeared from the ground shooting out towards the woman. The emerald eyed girl did not see her tutor anymore, in her place she saw Shizuru. She saw the Shizuru who had weaved her way into the old Shizuru's mind and taken it over like a parasite; the hollow Shizuru that had taken Natsuki's most precious person away.

She was going to kill that Shizuru and free the one she loved from her lonely and empty fate.

It was a promise she would fulfil. A promise she would make to her mother, Shizuru's family and Shizuru herself.

-0-0-0-0-

Natsuki gripped the side of the desk angrily, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Takeda was even more annoying today than any other. They were currently awaiting the appearance of their teacher; who was in fact twenty minutes late. Unfortunately at Searrs, it didn't really matter how late your lecturer was. All the information had to be said before the class was dismissed, which meant their first combat training session was going to go well into the night.

Just as she was about to shove her fist down Takeda's throat for something he said a door opened and their tutor entered.

"Hello fellow students!" yelled the energetic voice and Natsuki smashed her face against the surface of the desk.

"God no nmph…" she muffled recognising the voice immediately. It was Midori. Natsuki had been attending private combat training sessions with the woman. It was a type of therapy to help her get rid of all the emotions that bottled up inside of her. Of course, the woman never stopped making it sound as if their 'private sessions' were of an inappropriate nature.

Natsuki wasn't too bothered about it because the redhead would always mention them at a time when no one was around. Except this time…-

"Ah Natsuki-chan!" greeted the voice and the emerald eyed teen did not dare look up, "Will you be attending the combat training session this afternoon, or will it be another… private… lesson with your _sensei"_

The class erupted into chatter once again until Midori calmed them down. Natsuki just stayed put, not daring to move. When she sat up she noticed Takeda looking at her from the corner of his eye. She made eye contact with him and he blushed.

"Whatever you're thinking Masashi forget it!" snapped Natsuki

"- Now!" Midori scanned the class until she stopped and locked onto her target. Her hand shot out and pointed towards Nao who was too busy looking at her nails. The sudden silence caused her to look up, "You! What happens when a craver bites a human? GO!"

Nao just stared at the tutor as if she was an idiot, "They either die or get infected" muttered the redhead

"Hai!" agreed Midori a little too enthusiastically before pointing at Masashi Takeda, "You! What happens when a craver bites a Searrs agent?"

"Uh…" Takeda's face paled as the spotlight was on him, "T-they… ugh… well – when a craver bites a Searrs agent… they-

"They gain flu symptoms…!" growled Natsuki slamming her fist on the desk angrily whilst glaring at the idiot next to her. Takeda flinched at her glare and the loud bang of her hand against the table.

"Correct Natsuki-chan!" smiled Midori, "Now, the tonic is similar to the serum used to first create Himes except it protects the blood of our Searrs agents. Not only is it extremely uncomfortable for blood seekers but its effects have the ability to weaken cravers almost to the point where they are humanly sluggish. Almost like getting intoxicated. Unlike Hime blood, the tonic is only temporary and remains in an agents system depending on the dosage. New recruits are only allowed the smallest dosage so your body can adjust to the effects"

Midori pulled out a bunch of textbooks and put one each in front of each student, "These manuals will help further your understanding of the relationship between Searrs agents and Himes-"

Takeda glanced at Natsuki as Midori spoke and emerald met his eyes. She realised exactly what was going through his head and gapped staring at him in utter disgust, "In your dreams pervert!" snapped Natsuki getting up and effectively uppercutting Takeda into the air.

Soon Natsuki, Nao and Takeda found themselves outside of the classroom standing against the wall with their textbooks balancing on their head. Takeda's nose was effectively bruised and swollen with remnants of dry blood on the collar of his uniform.

The trio all concentrated at keeping the books balanced whilst Midori paced up and down with a ruler in hand. She stopped and stared at them, "They say the best way to develop coalition within a team is to experience the same hardships, the same achievements… the same punishments and the same challenges!" Midori swung the ruler in front of Nao and the younger girl wobbled slightly, "If one achieves greatness, all are rewarded, if one fails, the others are willing to fail with them" she swung the ruler at Takeda who wobbled a little more than Nao.

Takeda's two teammates watched him in the belief that his textbook was about to drop. In consequence both Nao and Natsuki's book dropped to the floor.

"Trust!" yelled Midori, "Is most important! If one does not trust the other to watch their back, then you will lose concentration and in the end, the entire team could be eradicated just because you felt the need to watch both sides rather than concentrate on the one – NOW! From the start!"

Natsuki grumbled and picked up her textbook

"All three of you will give me a five page essay on a significant piece of history in that textbook!"

"WHAT?!" everyone yelled in unison causing all three books to fall to the ground.

Bang, bang, bang

"Ah ha!" smiled Midori, "Improvement! At least you are beginning to unite – Now! Begin again!"

-0-0-0-0-

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><p><strong>C: yeah that's right… Natsuki and Takeda?!<strong>

**SO What do you think? Was this chapter a bit boring..?**

**I wanted to focus more on Natsuki's development! I think it is important for the story.**

**I have been struggling to decide… like many of you… on whether to write about the past… or the present! … OR the past! Or the present!**

**I thought it would be annoying to constantly go present, past, present, past, past… etc you get the drift!**

**So in the end I gave birth to this!**

**The labour was not pretty…. I screamed… a lot… **

…**Blood splattered all over the walls… (I hope you guys aren't too visual)**

…**this baby did not pop out without resistance!**

**Please let me know your thoughts! Like it? Hate it? Suggestions? What's on your mind!? **

**Tell me all your secrets**

**Next Chapter: Always Watching**


	6. Always Watching

**Woah guys! Apologies for dropping off the face of the Earth... pretty sure I replied to a few of you and said there would be an update soon... like months ago. I'm so bad to my readers!**

**My friend found out and bashed me for not updating for you guys, so here you go!**

**Apologies for the bad sentence structures and grammar!  
><strong>

**Enjoy!**

**...**

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><p>...<p>

Chapter 6

**Always Watching**

by GrimaThanEvil

...

Natsuki stared at her feet as she made her way down the hallway. An angry expression painted her features and all passer-by's stopped conversing until the ice Hime was out of sight. On the exterior the girl was unapproachable but on the inside she was battling the heavy burden of grief. Sadness overwhelmed her. It was a sadness that was slowly being pushed down to the deepest depths of her heart and consumed by everlasting rage. She had been at SEARRS for what felt like so long now, yet she still felt out of place. Nothing seemed to progress within the deepest parts of her emotions. The only adaptation her mind could develop was pushing her scars and secrets away with anger. She believed it was the only way to deal with a situation like this. Natsuki had to be angry, Natsuki had to be enraged. It was the only way to keep going. Anger would hold her in place; it would tape the cracks inside together. It would help block away the part of Natsuki that was weak; the part of Natsuki that held onto childish dreams such as hope, such as love. However, the ice Hime knew quite well that happy endings did not exist.

"Look its Kuga-san…" whispered the voices. Natsuki looked up at the numerous faces watching her realising that she had subconsciously walked into the practice arena. As expected the eyes dispersed as soon as she raised her head. Casting some unfriendly faces a glare, the ice-Hime made her way to a corner where a familiar redhead stood with three other figures.

The conversation the group were having muted as soon as Natsuki approached. The sparkling lime green eyes of Nao flicked from an unfamiliar face to Natsuki's emerald orbs. The vixen smirked when Natsuki came to a halt, whilst the ice-Hime eyed the three unfamiliar figures. Unfortunately she recognised one boy named Ryol, who she sent the best glare she could come up with. Natsuki remembered him quite clearly; he was the arrogant boy who spoke of Shizuru and his so called brother. A rumour Natsuki very much hoped was never true.

"We'll meet up later" spoke Nao, earning a nod from Ryol and the two others. They quickly dispersed but not before Ryol took this opportunity to nudge Natsuki in the shoulder. The midnight haired teens face morphed into anger and she snapped her head around, her body soon following suit. A grip on her wrist prevented her from releasing her wrath.

Natsuki snapped her head back ready to demand Nao to let her go but the vixen directed her gaze over to the other side of the room. The ice-Hime followed the direction and met the cold calculating eyes of a strange old woman. She wore a full body plan dress with a high collar. It was pitch black with only one minor detail. A gold cross adorned the tight fitting collar.

"We're on the watch list" spoke Nao before releasing Natsuki's wrist.

Emerald eyes continued to stare, never breaking eye contact, "Who is that?" demanded Natsuki finally looking away and locking eyes with Nao.

"The vulture of SEARRS" mumbled Nao whilst putting a hand on her hip

"What does she want?" questioned Natsuki confused. The cobalt haired teen rolled her shoulders and tried to act as naturally as possible.

Nao let out a chuckle and glanced at her nails," You've been causing a lot of trouble, what do you expect"

"What did I do?!" snapped Natsuki only to watch as Nao rolled her eyes.

"Well... you have been brawling around the entire facility, getting into fights, freezing students... the list goes on, therefore you are on the watch list, isn't it obvious"

The ice Himes shoulders sagged as she remembered all the incidents clearly. Unfortunately the thing that stood out the most was Haruka's voice constantly yelling at her. Midori's training sessions did not help either, the teacher had constantly been disappearing the past few months, some times for a few days some times for a few weeks.

Natsuki began to feel uneasy as the last few months dragged by. She had learnt so much about SEARRS yet so little. She learnt that SEARRS was a mixture of the government, the military, old religious beliefs, mythology and science. On one side it had soldiers, armed with the usual weapons such as guns, vests, and gas masks. As well as a lot of other handy gadgets. They were used for more direct and public missions involving a large number of civilians or a large sector of the population. Then there was the politics side, a side Natsuki did not really care about. Although it was probably one of the most important pieces to SEARRS. It was just not the ice Hime's forte so she brushed it aside. She could not help but think that Shizuru would have found it interesting and it made her chest ache a bit more.

Shizuru; the name felt like taboo to Natsuki's ears. The Shizuru that had always been kind to her; The Shizuru who always watched over her, and the Shizuru who always stood up for her… was nothing but a memory now. How could she live with it? How did people even begin to start living with it… losing someone so precious to you. Where did that person go? She hated hearing that name, hated the whispering of the students around her. They always gossiped about Shizuru, about where she was, what she was doing, when she would come back. If only they knew… if only they knew the truth. Natsuki could wipe those happy smiles off their faces in an instant. Of course, no one would believe her; especially the students. So many of them seemed to admire Shizuru, - ugh that name. Natsuki willed herself to stop. Forgetting Shizuru was like forgetting how to breathe. It was impossible.

What was she saying… in her reality those who do not breathe are the monsters in the dark.

She shook her thoughts away.

Other than the politics there was the religious side, a side Natsuki had hated at first, but it slowly slipped into her being and she began to understand the motives SEARRS had established. She began to understand the power of belief and the power of hope. Yet, she could not quite accept those two words. Her beliefs and hopes were not along the righteous side. Not in the least according to SEARRS. A part of her hoped Shizuru was still Shizuru, a part of her believed she could still save her. That part of her was nothing but false.

The other piece of SEARRS Natsuki found interesting was the mythological and science side. Somehow throughout the centuries, the word vampire must have been incorporated into fiction, and somehow it had been fact. Natsuki learnt what was fact and what was fiction. She learnt that cravers burnt in the light, that silver harmed them, that holy water although not fatal, kept them at bay for some time. She learnt a lot about herself as well... that her blood attracted cravers, that even if she died, she could still go down fighting and taking the bloodsuckers with her. However being a Hime was more of a burden than a bonus.

She could not help but feel out of place. At first Natsuki had believed a Hime was someone special, someone strong, and someone who was admired. But boy was she wrong. Sure, the naïve and young believed that. The first and second years built stories and romances about it. Ridiculous things they could muse over. But the higher ups despised Himes. The heads of Searrs alienated them as if they were as bad as cravers. It made Natsuki think about what she really was, about what Hime's really were.

"Meet tonight" commented Nao and Natsuki was too lost in her thoughts to care. Her emerald eyes glanced at Nao for a moment and she remembered the group the vixen had been talking to. Throughout her time at SEARRS the ice Hime had discovered Nao's secret group. She had never been interested in it, specifically because Ryol was a part of it and Natsuki knew that another chance of bashing the hell out of him was not an option to pass up. Nao would not let Natsuki go so easily. Each week the vixen would make a comment or try and get Natsuki to come to their secret meetings. Who the hell knew how the redhead managed to find a place they could hide from security in SEARRS but if anyone could do it, she guessed it would be Nao.

Natsuki knew Nao only wanted her for her abilities, how the redhead wanted to make use of them, the ice Hime had no idea. Natsuki was only interested in one thing and one thing only, finishing her training at SEARRS and finding Shizuru. She did not care about some secret teenage group that broke SEARRS rules for who knows what.

Natsuki had been at SEARRS for so long it felt like she could almost forget about her past, almost forget about Shizuru. Even now as she thought about the crimson eyed beauty, her chest hurt a little less, her heart rate stayed at a steady pace. It was not an easy feeling to come to terms with. How could you lose that part of yourself through time? How could you just slowly feel less pain about losing someone. Could it be that Natsuki did not feel so strongly about Shizuru anymore? She didn't understand what she was feeling. Was it some Hime thing? or did normal people feel it as well.

Natsuki cursed.

Emerald eyes gazed around the training area and watched a few faces. She examined how their eyes narrowed and twitched during sparring. How their lips hung agape and how their chests rose and fell. She knew she could last twice as long as them before she would be out of breath. She wondered how anyone here would be brave enough to face cravers as humans. How long they would last in the outside world. Had they even seen a craver before? Had they come home to find everyone they knew and loved slaughtered and dead after their graduation?

The ice-Hime felt a presence by her side effectively pulling her out of her thoughts. She blinked at the appearance of Akira. The girl's face was serious as always, almost like Natsuki's, which is one of the reasons the cobalt haired teen liked her so much. They were both very serious and very competitive. Natsuki was number seven amongst her cohort, whilst Akira was ranked as number one. No matter who Natsuki sparred against, or who she was examined with, she would always be number seven; even if she won every time. Takeda would always say that SEARRS would never allow Natsuki to be ranked any higher because she tended to cause a ruckus amongst the organisation. Searrs did have an image side to it.

'Kuga-san,' greeted Akira, 'would you like to spar?'

The entire training room seemed to die within two seconds. Everyone stopped and stared for wondering if they heard right. Did the number one Hime trainee just challenge Kuga Natsuki the Ice Queen?

Said Ice Queen looked around the room and glared at every face looking their way, "sure' agreed Natsuki.

Everyone seemed to lose interest and returned to their training whilst Natsuki and Akira made their way to the centre of the arena. Which was conveniently bare. Most people knew how this ended. Natsuki would win, she would always win. But everyone seemed to admire Akira, she was someone who wanted to perfect herself. Of course perfection was out of reach, but adapting and improving was something the shorter girl always strived for. Even Natsuki had to admire that. Both Himes knew that the rankings meant nothing.

Akira liked to constantly mention that Natsuki was number one yet continued to challenge her. The ice Hime understood the reasons behind Akira's motivation. They were almost similar to her own. Akira wanted to make her family proud by being the highest ranked Hime even after graduation. She would be ranked against Haruka and everyone else. Natsuki knew very well who the highest ranked Hime was at the moment; Shizuru. A part of Natsuki wished Akira would never defeat her or anyone else. A part of Natsuki felt that the highest ranked Hime should and would always be Shizuru.

The two stood across from each other, about three meters a part. Emerald eyes locked with her opponents and the two stared at each other for what felt like a good ten minutes. Not one of them was willing to make the first move. Both wondered which one would cave first. When it finally happened no one seemed to care. The pair clashed in the centre of the arena, not quite registering who struck first. No one noticed Akira punch Natsuki in the shoulder. No one paid any attention to Natsuki's low kick. It was only when Natsuki landed a blow right into Akira's jaw when the tides turned. The ninja like girl felt the blood in her throat and dived back. Kunais flung from her arms and Natsuki dived out of the way.

The ice Hime felt her legs scrape against the hard ground, and looked back at her opponent. Akira smirked and it caused Natsuki's eyes to widen in horror. Not because the girl had the upper hand. Not because Natsuki was now defenceless on the ground. But because the red dripping from Akira's mouth had coated her lips in blood. The smirk had just been the finishing touch that reminded Natsuki of Shizuru. The ice Hime lifted her hands up just as Akira threw five ninja stars towards her. Natsuki waited for the freezing sensation to pass through her palms. For the chill to reach the tips of her fingers and effectively shield her from the oncoming attack. She had done it countless times against Akira. She felt the sharp blades of the stars slice pass her cheeks, she felt a stinging sensation on her right shoulder and a pain on her knee left knee.

She couldn't hear anything because every person in the training area had stopped completely. If someone had dropped a pin at that moment everyone would have heard its loud clang.

Natsuki stared down at her body and back up at the spot where the ice should have been. Her eyes fell onto her hands and she through them forward to create another barrier. She blinked in anger as nothing appeared. She did it again, and again. Throwing her arms forward desperately.

...

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><p>...<p>

Natsuki made her way towards the infirmary for what felt like the 10th time this week.

The Doc had told Natsuki the loss of her Hime abilities was normal. Sometimes it could come through stress or overworking, in Natsuki's case excessively using her gifts on students. Himes just had to find a balance between what they could achieve without their abilities and what really needed the use of their abilities.

When Natsuki found herself in front of the infirmary doors she paused.

At first Natsuki just stood there, not sure whether she should go in or not. The ice Hime was tired of getting her blood sucked into a tube ever since the estate incident. She needed answers. Answers no one was willing to give her. It seemed that everyone around her knew everything about Searrs, about Himes, yet she knew nothing. All she knew was the basics. She was just like a civilian. To her, Searrs were the protectors of the peace, those who vanquished the monsters in the night. Yet… something felt off about it all. The world was not as simple as she had deemed it to be. The good guys were not always so kind and friendly. Especially the leaders of Searrs. Their eyes would always fall upon her and mirror that of uncertainty. Natsuki could tell they did not enjoy her presence during assemblies. It was partly because she was there at Fujino Estate when everything got shot to hell. Natsuki was there when _she_ killed her family. Everything went wrong that night and somehow Natsuki was alive. Somehow she had lived. So why? Why would she be spared whilst everyone else had been sucked dry? Why not kill her?

If cravers killed that which was most familiar to them, why prolong the inevitable?

Natsuki sighed; it kind of made sense that Shizuru would turn her vampirism into some kind of game… that was really the worst part. The ex-Hime's teases and manipulative games had somehow transformed into something more sinister as a craver. The worst thing was that it felt familiar to Natsuki. The teases, the games, it was all a part of who Shizuru use to be. It hurt to know something so familiar had been built into a creature so dark.

But why? Why did Shizuru change when Natsuki stayed the same; the ice Hime had to find out, one way or another, it was one of the most important questions to the Fujino's demise. A question only two people could get close to answering; Youko or Yukino. The doors hissed open and Natsuki stormed in. She took one, two three steps and inhaled in preparation for her demands. The only problem was the room was empty.

The lights flickered on as they registered her presence and her resolve seemed to crumble away. Natsuki stood there in silence for a moment, running her eyes around the room. They stopped on Youko's desk. A strange urge to pry overcame her and she looked over her shoulder before making her way to the desk. Her fingers slipped over sheets of paper, quickly flicking through irrelevant numbers and data. She eyed the file a few feet away from her and quickly picked it up only to be disappointed. It was a list of names that had all been submitted into the infirmary for what looked like the past ten years.

It was a lot of names and about twenty sheets of paper that Natsuki really did not want to go through. The only thing that sparked her desire was the first name on the first page; Fujino Shizuru, the first to be admitted ten years ago. Next to the date sat the cause; severe headache.

Natsuki sighed at the lack of information, and flicked over to the next page, only to find Shizuru's name again. She flicked to another and found the ex-Hime once more; and again on the next page. Natsuki stared wide-eyed as she found Shizuru's name more often as the years went by. Then it stopped altogether.

She snapped the file closed and looked around the desk for more information. Something caught her eye underneath the drawers; a leather case with a few more thin files sticking out. The Hime mark was printed on the edge of one. Just as Natsuki was about to reach down and grab it, the familiar beep and hiss of the infirmary doors caught her attention. On instinct she hid behind the curtains of one of the beds. Which she realised was probably not the best thing to do since that would look more suspicious if she were caught.

The familiar clicking of Doctor Youko's heels resonated against the tiles. Natsuki heard the woman sigh, and a pair of boots walking softly behind her, "You know we will find him Youko" uttered the familiar voice of Midori.

"If that was true, would you not think we would have by now?" replied the Doctor, her voice seemed tired with a strange hint of sorrow

"I promise you…" replied Midori's voice, "… we will find him and bring him back"

"It was bound to happen…" mumbled the Doctor brushing off Midori's words, "…I warned him that leaving Searrs would cost him greatly, cost me greatly. Yet he didn't listen"

Natsuki heard the doctor fall onto her chair but stayed unmoving as she heard Midori's foot steps draw closer.

"It's not your fault Youko" assured the sensei, "Hiroshi knew what he was going into. He is a brilliant scientist; he helped create this for all of us"

"That is what worries me Midori" the doctor sighed, "If they have him… how much would he tell them?"

"Your father is strong Youko; he will not give in so easily"

"I do not know… after what Searrs did to Saeko-san it is hard to believe that he would not be tempted to give away all our secrets"

"What happened to that woman was not Searrs' fault Youko, it was just some lousy intern who couldn't keep his mouth shut" commented the sensei

"That is exactly my problem; my father could never keep his mouth shut. It's why he left Searrs in the first place"

There was a long silence and Natsuki tried to breathe in and out as softly as possible. She became increasingly aware of how straight her legs were, the curtain tickling her back and the sound of her heartbeat. She strained her ears and listened to the doctor shuffling through files on her desk. Natsuki waited for them to discover a piece of paper out of place or a file not quite where it use to be.

"…are you really going?" uttered Youko in the silence

Midori grunted in response "Yah, Kiyo is the one place he may be. Hiroshi is like a father to me too you know, to all the Himes. Not to mention Team Bravo is quite eager to retrieve their package"

Natsuki's eyes widened and her breathing stopped altogether.

"Package?"

"Yes, Zargonate Rei of Team Delta reported a Class S in Kiyo that resembled– Oi! Stop that! It's classified information!"

Natsuki could picture the sensei's gapping mouth

Youko let out a laugh, "I have not done anything" defended Youko, "You know you're going to miss the final exams"

Midori sighed in defeat, "Yah, the heads will live without me this year apparently"

'What about Kuga-san?' questioned Youko, 'she has been mentioning you a lot lately'

'Natsuki-chan will be fine!' chirped Midori 'She is a strong kid'

Youko sighed '...that's not what I meant Midori'

Natsuki heard the teacher take a few steps back towards the door, and guessed she was leaving at the sound of it opening.

"…please be safe" urged Youko worry evident in her voice

"Always!" yelped the confident redhead and once she left, the doctor let out a defeated sigh. It was only when Natsuki heard Youko get up and walk into the smaller room; where Natsuki had first changed; did she dare move towards the door.

It seemed to take too long to open as she stood there, and the familiar hiss caused emerald eyes to dart towards the room Youko was in. Natsuki left with haste, knowing that the doctor would come out of the room and notice the closing door. As she turned and rushed along the tiles she heard a faint questionable 'hello?' just before the door closed.

The ice Hime jogged for a little while before slowing down to a walk. When she turned a corner she paused in her tracks noticing Midori in the hallway talking to one of the security guards. On instinct Natsuki walked back and took an unfamiliar corridor. As she walked along the bright white walls, she heard a noise behind her and paused for a moment. The footsteps seemed to stop and she continued again. The sound of boots registered in her ears and she stopped again hoping to catch them out. refusing to look back at her follower Natsuki aimed to reach the turn in the hallway, just as she was three meters away she ran. It only took a second for her pursuer to match pace. As Natsuki turned the corner she collided with a hard force. She glared up at a tall bulky boy smiling down at her. His head was completely shaved and his uniform looked far too small for his size.

Emerald eyes flicked back as Natsuki heard a chuckle, she twisted her body as she pushed herself off the ground. Ryol stood at the corner of the hallway. He had been following her.

"What do you want?'' snapped Natsuki

He smiled at her and another figure appeared behind him, one of his buddies by the look on his face, ''Not so tough without your magic tricks Kuga-san?'' spoke Ryol

''I don't have time for this'' growled Natsuki taking a step to the right in an attempt to go around Ryol and back the way she came. The young man mirrored her step and Natsuki's emerald eyes snapped to his ''Get out of my way'' demanded Natsuki.

"You think you're better than everyone don't you?'' laughed Ryol pointing at Natsuki and looking around at his two goons, "You Himes think you're so great, but without your little tricks -

Natsuki felt a blow from behind and fell onto her left knee, instantly she grabbed her shoulder in pain.

''-you're useless'' he commented ''Weak, like a little girl''

She growled and dived at Ryol grapping him around the waist and trying to throw punches at his face. She managed to land a good blow to his cheek before being wrenched off and shoved against a wall. She felt the two goons grab on her arms and hold her in place.

''You bitch'' growled Ryol, standing up and touching his cheek. He closed his hand into a fist and punched Natsuki in the lip. His hand then went through his hair and he smirked in satisfaction, "Too bad your precious Hime-sempai''s aren't hear to save you. I hear they're getting ready to leave right at this moment''

Natsuki hissed angrily and tried to break free from the two goons holding her down. What was wrong with her?! They were just human. She should be able to break free! In frustration Natsuki did the one thing she could think of, she spat right into Ryol's face while he continued to boast about himself. The boy stopped mid sentence and rubbed the saliva off of his nose angrily. It was followed by a good three fists to Natsuki's face. When he felt that he had taken his revenge he stood back calmly.

"'Trust me Kuga-san your life is going to be hell here from today on. I'll make sure of it. Embarrassing me in front of the class? Abusing your little ice magic to get the better of me? Ha now look at you. I can't believe Fujino-san had actually associated with you. I guess she just pitied you. Being an orphan and all"

Natsuki's eyes widened and Ryol smirked registering that he was getting under her skin.

"Yes,'' he spoke and grabbed Natsuki by the jaw so she could stare straight into his eyes, "I know everything about you and your slut of a mother. You don't even know who daddy is. I suppose she got what she deserved. I heard she slept with at least half the staff''

''You bastard!" bellowed Natsuki shaking Ryol's hands away and struggling against the two goons. Ryol seemed alarmed for a minute, believing Natsuki would actually break free. He took a couple of steps back again just for precaution, ''You know nothing about my mother!''

"That's where you're wrong Kuga-san, I know everything about your mother, my family funded her little experiment'' he looked Natsuki up and down, ''She must have hated you - using her own daughter as a specimen, what a bitch aye?''

"Shut up!" snapped Natsuki closing her eyes shut and trying to feel the cool sensation on her palms. She growled in frustration and tried again but to no avail.

Ryol chuckled, "So tell me Kuga, how is Fujino-san" questioned the young man, "My brother would appreciate it if you passed on his details, you know, since she quite enjoyed his company last time, or would you prefer his company? you must have some of your mother's traits right?''

Natsuki forced herself forward angrily, pulling both of the goons forward a few steps. Ryol's eyes widened and he backed up against the wall as they struggled to hold her down. Yanking herself forward while being restrained the emerald eyed girl yelled at Ryol furiously, ''I'm going to fucking kill you!'' she fought against her two attackers only to feel a blow to her head. She winced and it seemed to be enough for them to pull her back against the wall. Ryol frowned at her and pulled up his sleeves before smirking. Natsuki readied herself for the on coming blows but they were interrupted by someone Natsuki least expected.

"What the hell is going on here?'' uttered a familiar voice and four pairs of eyes darted down the hallway to find Takeda staring at Ryol like he was about to burn. Natsuki had never thought Takeda could ever wear such a look. The spiky haired boy actually looked like a badass - Natsuki had to admit it. His eyes were infuriated, his body rigged, his fists clenched.

When Ryol realised who it was he rolled his eyes and brushed Takeda off, "Get out of here Masashi, this has nothing to do with you''

''Yes, actually it does'' uttered Takeda strongly, Natsuki stared at him as if he was a completely different person. Takeda was admirable, he was just so completely different from the cowardly annoying boy she had thought he had been. Natsuki could even feel her eyes begin to twinkle and spark at his badass stance as he pointed towards her his arm straight and muscles tightening, "That is Kuga Natsuki, a member of my squadron" Takeda announced, ''...and my girlfriend!'' - scratch those last few comments, Takeda's badass state just plummeted into an abyss according to Natsuki. Her face heated up in anger.

''I'm not your girlfriend you idiot!" screamed the ice Hime

Ryol blinked whilst Takeda suddenly became flustered at the rejection.

"Whatever"' sighed Ryol waving a hand at Takeda, "Just go Masashi, my problem is with Kuga-san not you, it's none of your business"'

''Let go of Kuga-san right now'' demanded Takeda and Ryol frowned, finally turning towards the spiky haired teen.

"Get out of here Masashi'' ordered Ryol lifting up his fist, "or you'll end up just like her''

Before Ryol could say anything else Takeda was suddenly in front of him and with one punch, Ryol flew across the hall, with a nosebleed trail following him.

The two goons dropped Natsuki and went for Takeda on instinct who was not expecting them to be on him so quickly. One of the goons grabbed Takeda by the throat in a choke hold; while the other was tripped by Natsuki's classic low kick.

Natsuki pulled the other goon off of Takeda and the two found themselves back to back each facing an opponent. The brawl began and it was only when they had a few more bruises when security somehow showed up and pulled all five of them into the holding cells.

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

Natsuki glared at the wall across from her, they had been stuck in the holding cells for six hours. Which meant whatever plan she could have thought up to sneak onboard the transporter to Kiyo had been obliterated. The remainder of Team Bravo as well as Midori's squad were long gone by now and so was Natsuki's chance of finding Shizuru. If the package Midori mentioned was really the ex-Hime it might have been Natsuki's only opportunity to find her. She had heard Yukino constantly mention how hard it was to keep track of a specific craver and now she was frustrated and angry. If it wasn't for Ryol and his two goons, she might have had a chance.

The ice-Hime cursed inwardly and sat up straight when the door to their right hissed open. Ryol stepped out followed by his buddies. He strode passed Natsuki and smirked at her. Emerald eyes followed him all the way down the hall until he collided with a familiar redhead. The cobalt haired teen immediately identified the vixen but could not make out what they were saying. Ryol left and Nao made her way towards Natsuki who was glaring at her.

"Did your chummy have much to say?''

Bright green eyes glanced down at Natsuki before Nao repositioned herself silently against the wall on Natsuki's left, "I told him his presence is no longer required at the meets'' by ''meets'' Nao was referring to her secret group meetings.

Emerald eyes widened in surprise and Natsuki raised her eyebrows. Everything seemed to be surprising her today, especially her team-mates. First Takeda, who sat to her right holding an icepack on his black eye. Then Nao who Natsuki had thought only cared about her secret group.

Nao seemed to ignore Natsuki's gaze and acted as cool as possible. The ice Hime didn't mind, so she continued to stare back at the wall, waiting for their judgement to be passed. Her face had already begun to heal and it made her realise that Takeda's injuries would probably take a week to heal.

''Thanks'' uttered Natsuki out of the blue and both Nao and Takeda replied in unison.

''No worries"

All three pairs of eyes looked around at each other for a moment and they all sniggered up until the point Takeda winced in pain. The boy grabbed his side for extra support but still smiled.

Natsuki's face fell and she glanced at Takeda for a moment before looking back at the wall, "You didn't have to do that, either of you''

''It wasn't a problem pup" uttered Nao

"Yeah, Kuga-san, we are a team'' agreed Takeda

''Natsuki''

''What?'' replied Takeda confused

"If we are a team, I don't see why we should be formal" uttered Natsuki crossing her arms in a hope that they would accept her reason. She did not need them to point out that she had suddenly grown some type of soft spot, "So, just Natsuki is fine''

''Alright, Natsuki'' smiled Takeda and they all seemed to agree on the decision.

A silence fell on them for a while, but they were all content with it. Nao of course, wasn't going to be punished, she had just come for the extra support. How she found out about the incident Natsuki did not know, she guessed the girl had eyes everywhere. That made the emerald eyed teen realise that maybe the vixen knew about Kiyo.

''Hey..." mumbled Natsuki softly not sure if she could even hear herself, "Do you know anything about Kiyo?''

"What?" Nao grunted, raising her eyebrows in surprise. The vixen looked down at Natsuki who frowned in annoyance.

"Do you know anything about Kiyo?'

"You mean the Mountains of Kiyo?" replied Nao leaning back against the wall, "It's barren, cold and full of blizzards"

"What else do you know about it?" urged the ice Hime, her hands eagerly gripping her seat. she licked her lips in anticipation.

"What is with the sudden interest?" questioned Nao suspiciously

'I overheard Midori and the Doc saying some Hiroshi guy may be there'

"Well…Kiyo is barren for a reason" muttered Nao looking to the side before back down at Natsuki with a smile, "Your turn"

"What?' flinched Natsuki

'Please, you want to know about Kiyo because of old fart Hiroshi?' laughed Nao, 'Please Ku- Natsuki give me more credit. How much of an idiot do you think I am?'

Natsuki sighed knowing she would never slip past the vixen so she just fell silent.

After a long silence Nao spoke up, "Kiyo is infested''

Natsuki's ears perked up, ''Infested...?''

"Yes, they say the residents were either evacuated or murdered by cravers. You could say it's like a craver breeding ground" Nao scratched her cheek casually, and then shrugged, "Searrs can't reclaim it because it's difficult putting teams together that can actually cope with the weather. They would send Himes there, but you know how it is…" Nao waved her hands around dramatically and quoted "Searrs fights for the light, the greater good...!"

"Well… I overheard Midori and the Doc speaking and they're sending Midori and Team Bravo" answered Natsuki, "…and I think Delta is there too"

"Three Hime squads?" Nao blinked in surprise, "Seriously? Maybe that old fart knew something important. Searrs would never risk three Hime squads in one location"

"Who is he?"

"Full of questions tonight aren't you?" smirked Nao, "Maybe you should answer some of mine"

"Yeah I think I will pass"

"Hey, wait til the school hears how rough you and Takeda went last night"

"What the hell are you saying?!" gapped Natsuki throwing her hands onto Nao's collar and pulling her down towards her, "I swear Yuuki if you are the one supporting all these rumours…"

Instead of fearing for her life Nao just started laughing which caused Natsuki's eyebrow to twitch uncontrollably. The ice Hime shoved the vixen back and closed her eyes in frustration. Natsuki growled in annoyance, clenching and unclenching her fists.

Nao's laughter died down and one emerald eye popped open to glance at her. The vixen's face suddenly fell to one so serious Natsuki had to blink to make sure she was really seeing a serious Nao.

"What is up with you and Fujino Shizuru?"

Natsuki flinched at the sudden change of topic. She stared at Nao for a while realising how strong the vixen's gaze was.

"I don't know what you are talking about" she finally snapped having no choice but to cross her arms and look away.

"Pfft, come on, you bash anyone who so much as whispers her name. Did she play you like all the other fan girls and boys?" teased Nao

"Shut up!" barked Natsuki angrily, "You don't know anything about her!"

"Neither do you" answered Nao looking Natsuki up and down and causing the ice Hime's angry expression to fall for just a moment.

Regaining her composure Natsuki stood up straight

"I know she might be in Kiyo" replied the ice Hime twisting around and locking eyes with lime green ones, "…and that is where I have to go"

"Ah," gasped Nao, "...so you want to go against the highest laws Searrs has put in place, sneak onto a transporter and go to the most dangerous place on Earth… just to see a Fujino?" sighed Nao.

Natsuki nodded her resolve and expression never faltering.

Nao grimaced, 'I don't know what the fuck is up with everyone; Fujino's must be covered in some type of magical fairy dust, everyone wants to go to the ends of the earth to find one"

"Hey you don't have to help me"

'Well it's a little too late to help' sighed Nao, 'The transporter would have left for Kiyo hours ago'

Natsuki cursed and kicked the ground. She could feel Takeda and Nao's eyes watching her.

The hissing of the door caused Natsuki to hold back her angry pit of rage and take a seat. Chie Harada emerged and Natsuki's gaze flicked up at the tomboy, who had one hand on her hip while the other brushed through her dark locks, "Well… lucky for you two, you still get to sit your exams"

Nao sniggered at that comment causing Chie to lock onto her. The vixen's eyes widened at the look Chie gave her for a brief moment before maintaining her composure.

"I don't think you understand the severity of your actions" Chie commented, standing up straight, "Masashi here, could have been expelled and removed from Searrs permanently. Do you realise how serious that is?" she turned to Takeda now who seemed to freeze like a deer, "You are lucky your parents are a part of the head council, now they have to repent for your stupidity. They will never hear the end of it, as for you," Chie snapped her head back at Natsuki only to sigh in defeat at the blank uncaring expression she received. The tomboy slapped her hand on her face, "You could at least pretend to feel bad!"

Nao shrugged, "We're Hime… they can't exactly tell us to leave"

"Well, leaving is the last thing you will be doing" informed the tomboy crossing her arms, "Until your exams you two will be supervised by myself"

Natsuki's eyes widened, "What?" she stood up

"...because of your actions the security had to delay mission transports. You, once again, have caused Searrs many complications'

"…Team Bravo still hasn't left yet?!" questioned Natsuki and without waiting for an answer continued to speak, 'Chie let me go with, I have to go with! I have to get to Kiyo!'

"No" spoke Chie pointing her finger at the ice Hime and directing her to sit down, "I don't know how you found out about Kiyo but you two have delayed the mission enough," she swept her hand along the three of them as she spoke, "You are students, not agents or qualified Himes" the tomboy narrowed her eyes at Nao and Natsuki making sure her words were sinking in, "Until you pass your Final exams, you will remain here"

Natsuki refused to seat herself and took a step forward causing Chie to lock eyes with her; "I have to find her" snapped the ice Hime

"Don't go there Kuga" warned Chie

"I'm more involved in this than you are!'' explained Natsuki with a frown ''I deserve to go!''

''No'' spoke Chie strongly, ''Orders are orders"

Natsuki growled in frustration and slammed back down onto her seat. She buried her face in her hands and clawed at her hair.

"Please…" sighed Nao rolling her eyes, "…we know the mutt here is in love with Fujino"

Natsuki flinched and stared at Nao

Chie's eyes widened and also fell on the vixen but both she and Natsuki were staring for different reasons. First of all the cobalt haired teenager blushed and glared at the redhead; reacting to the word love. Whilst Chie looked back at Natsuki believing the ice Hime told Nao all about the Fujino estate incident.

"W-what?!" gapped Natsuki glaring at Nao, "I'm not!" she shouted squeezing her eyes shut

Nao smirked, "Great comeback there"

"You told her about the Estate?" questioned Chie

"No!" shouted Natsuki looking from Nao to Chie and then back to Nao again, "I'm not like that!" denied the ice Hime thrusting her finger at Nao, "S-Shizuru is my friend! Like…more…almost…a sister! Kind of…!"

Nao gave a seedy smile and waved at Natsuki, "Call it whatever you want~" she chimed, "Na-tsu-ki-onee-chan~"

"Sh-shut up Yuuki!" bellowed Natsuki her face red from embarrassment and anger.

"Oh that's right…" Nao chimed again before pointing at Takeda. The boy stared at her finger almost going cross eyed, "You're dating Masashi"

"You're dating Masashi?" questioned Chie raising an eyebrow

"I'M NOT!" screamed the ice Hime.

Natsuki's head snapped to the tomboy before going back to the vixen, "NAO!"

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

"This is pointless!'' snapped Natsuki throwing the mop back into the bucket and leaning against its shaft.

They were currently in one of the small teaching rooms that had not been used in years. The room was completely plan. The walls were grey, the floor was grey even

the desks and chairs were grey. It felt like they were stuck in a dusty prison. Natsuki even had the three corrupt musketeers a few meters behind her.

Ryol and his two goons were also punished.

Lucky Chie was in the corner wearing small black rimmed glasses and reading, or else all hell would have broke lose two hours ago.

Takeda stayed quiet and continued to clean like an obedient student. His black eye was almost completely gone and final training missions were just around the corner

before the exams.

Natsuki had no idea what to expect. Apparently the tests involved survival. Those were the rumors anyway. The ice Hime had heard nothing else,

but she guessed Nao probably knew exactly what was going to happen and how to get top marks.

Natsuki cursed, "Damn that Nao...'' she uttered under her breath.

Maybe being a part of Nao's secret group wouldn't be so bad. If she had been then she would be onboard to Kiyo right now. Who was she kidding she would probably be at Kiyo right now! It made her wonder what Team Bravo had encountered there. She wondered if they really did find Shizuru. If they were really going to free Shizuru from her curse. That was Natsuki's goal, if Haruka managed to end Shizuru's reign then what was there for the ice Hime to do? Could she really just forget about everything and move on?

"So is the Ice Queen going to help us...or?" uttered Ryol's fowl little voice.

Natsuki's eyebrow twitched and Chie looked up from her book. Emerald eyes glared at her and Natsuki ripped the mop out from the bucket and began to feverishly mop the ground in anger.

Damn that Ryol. How dare he. How dare he speak about her mother, how dare he speak about Shizuru.

Natsuki promised herself that she would have her revenge one day. It was too hard to ignore the brat. She remembered Chie's warning before they had first started cleaning. The tomboy had warned Natsuki about Ryol, about who his parents were, about how they could throw Natsuki and her final squadron into the pits of hell, with no chance of coming back. The only pit of hell Natsuki could think of was Kiyo, except it was barren and cold according to Nao.

The ice Hime would gladly stir Ryol up some more if her chances to get to Kiyo were going to be increased.

However she knew it was not what Chie meant. She was warning Natsuki almost like an older sister, almost like Shizuru warning Natsuki about small things she did wrong. Like how Natsuki would slouch or use her hands when eating. Shizuru would always point it out, unlike her parents who would just frown and disapprove of Natsuki behind her back.

Chie wanted Natsuki to improve, to get her desired position amongst SEARRS, to be respected. Of course Natsuki was young and hot headed so she didn't really care at the moment, especially when the name Ryol would come up -

She felt a wet slap to the back of her head and recoiled inwards. She recognised the object as a sponge and stood up straight allowing it to fall onto the ground with a splat. Whirling around Natsuki glared at the three figures across the room. All three backs were turned minding their own business.

The cobalt haired teen glared and watched as Ryol turned around, completely ignoring her, and placed his hand into his own bucket. He began to soak and rinse his sponge whistling a tune Natsuki began to hate. Suddenly he screamed and everyone turned to look at him. Even Natsuki looked at him surprised. The water inside the bucket had frozen solid along with Ryol's hand which was now submerged in ice. He yelped in pain before shooting daggers towards Natsuki.

"'What the hell Kuga!''

Chie sighed and closed her book, it made a small clap sound as the pages hit together. She placed it on the desk and walked towards Ryol. The tomboy helped him lift the bucket and muttered something about the infirmary then left.

When the door shut behind Chie and Ryol, Natsuki shot daggers at the two goons glaring at her. She lifted her palm up and created an icy mist. The two boys immediately recoiled and she smirked turning around and picking up her mop again.

She felt a pair of eyes watching her and glanced at Takeda who was staring at her. The only problem was he wasn't staring at her eyes. The ice Hime found herself slightly leaning over in order to rinse out the mop leaving a slight opening in her shirt.

A loud cracking of a mop against a nose echoed throughout the room.

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

Everyone's body slightly rose as the large tires of Searrs transport vehicle hit another bump in the road. Natsuki sat in her seat quietly ignoring the grim look on everyone's faces. They were going on a training mission in some deserted area. All she had managed to get out of her teachers was that it was an old abandoned mansion in some remote area. It was a common practice area but hadn't been used in a few years by Searrs because of vegetation regrowth. Apparently a while back when Haruka was still in training she had destroyed everything in the area.

Emerald eyes locked onto nervous ones and she glared at Takeda for staring at her. The boy had become even more of a nuisance as their training advanced. Now near the end of their course he still stumbled over his words and feet like an idiot. Especially ever since Nao announced that Natsuki and Takeda were dating. The rumours spread like wildfire and it only made the cobalt haired teen more angry at Takeda. Natsuki didn't see why Searrs did not remove him from the team. For some reason he just happened to ace all the exams.

"Get in my way and I'll shove my fist down your throat" growled Natsuki and Takeda gulped immediately avoiding eye contact. She had to admit even though she gave the boy a hard time, he was good at what he did. Natsuki was glad that Takeda was a part of her unit instead of someone like Ryol-

The vehicle came to a stop and the back doors opened revealing Chie laced in pure black. She looked over the faces of everyone as she spoke, "Alright, although this is just a simulation we are treating it as a real incident so I expect you to fight for your life" a few faces turned white as she spoke, "Your ammo will only be rubber bullets… just in case you happen to shoot your own team mates", Chie sighed reflecting back on the last training mission where someone successfully managed to shoot their own team-mate in the leg, "Anyway, you will be entering a mansion. There will be traps. If you become a target of that trap and are hit then you are dead. If you so choose to run around after that, everyone has the right to target you. Most likely the trap will leave some sort of mark on you so you will be easy to identify. Once hit return back to the vehicle. The first team to bring back an innocent bystander wins. The bystanders are dummies. But make no mistake they are heavy and if they are hit with any traps you will have to go find another and bring them back to safety" Chie looked around, "You have four hours to save all the bystanders, there are a total of twenty in the building. To successfully complete your mission each team has to save two dummies. Now go!"

Natsuki ran through the grass holding her gun in front of her. Takeda was right behind her and Nao at the flank. Their eyes darted around for anything suspicious and they heard screaming as someone from another team went through the front door and obviously got hit with a trap. Making eye contact with her team-mates Natsuki received nods from both of them.

She stopped at a window and touched it with the pads of her fingers, for a moment nothing happened. An icy sheet coated its surface and Natsuki smashed the glass with her gun. The flashlight attached to her weapon peeped through the small entrance she made. Everything was covered in dust but other than that it was clear. Kicking the rest of the glass away with her boot, Natsuki stepped inside, checking all the corners in the room. She glanced back to make sure her companions followed. Their black attire made it almost impossible to see them.

After securing the room they proceeded towards a large oak door. Nao went first this time and opened it allowing Takeda and Natsuki to burst through. A long dark hallway revealed itself and Takeda, who was first lowered his gun with a sigh.

"This is stupid" commented Nao

Takeda stepped back and leaned against the wall looking around casually. Suddenly there was a click and two pairs of green eyes looked at him then down his leg. His right foot had sunk slightly and both girls gave him a deadpan look.

Within seconds dozens of paintballs assaulted their bodies and they were officially covered in red and pink colours.

"I hate you" uttered Nao "I bloody hate you"

"You idiot!" snapped Natsuki getting up and shoving Takeda against the opposite wall "It hasn't even been five minutes and we're out!"

"S-sorry!" replied Takeda as Natsuki pushed him into the hallway.

"Whatever" Natsuki growled

"Oi mutt" snapped Nao and two pairs of eyes settled on her, "We might as well take this opportunity and scare the living daylights out of everyone else…" a evil smile appeared on the redheads face as she spoke, "besides Ryol and his team are surely around here somewhere"

"Only if Takeda doesn't mess it up this time" replied Natsuki giving him a glare

"I won't!"

"Fine. Let's go" ordered the midnight haired teen and they made their way into the darkness, "turn your flash lights off"

When the lights went off they realised how dark it really was and Takeda began to complain about not being able to see and how they might step on traps.

"Stop complaining!" growled Natsuki "all you ever do is whine and stutter like an idiot!"

Natsuki pushed him angrily, "Why don't we split up" suggested Nao only to be completely ignored

"All you ever do is yell and glare as if it's the only emotion available in your body!" retorted Takeda returning Natsuki's glare for once.

The emerald eyed teen faced him angrily, sparks flying between their eyes, "What did you just say?!"

"You heard me Kuga!" replied Takeda, "Why don't you just admit it! It's pretty obvious!"

"Admit what you idiot?!" bellowed the midnight haired teen "How much I want to strangle you in your sleep?!"

"How much you think about me!"

"WHAT?!" gapped Natsuki in disgust

"All the glaring and constant fists to my manly jaw!" explained Takeda, "You took advantage of any excuse to touch me! I understand Natsuki –

"Don't call me Natsuki you bafoon! I took that back weeks ago!"

"- it's the only way you know how to express your affection for me!"

"Oh my god!" screamed Natsuki whilst Nao stared blankly in the background before it hit her; "I could never like someone as stupid and witless as you!"

She began to crack up and burst into hysterical laughter much to Natsuki's annoyance, "Shut up Nao you're not helping!"

Takeda grabbed Natsuki's hands with his own affectionately and it caught the emerald eyed teen off guard, "I just wanted to say that I accept your feelings-

Natsuki punched Takeda straight down the hallway; the boy flew a good ten meters. His assent illuminated by the moonlight through the hallways windows.

The midnight haired teen then glared at Nao who still continued to laugh but before Natsuki could send a fist her way, Nao's laughter suddenly stopped. Emerald eyes followed her gaze and they both stared at Takeda who was now rubbing his jaw. He seemed to notice the look on their faces and gave them a questioning gaze.

"What?"

Before either of them could do anything Takeda was in the arms of a Class D craver. It's long arms gripped his body with ease and the boy yelled in surprise and pain as it squeezed his limbs. A rubber bullet shot and hit the creature straight in the forehead causing it to look up at Natsuki and Nao, who both held their guns up in assault mode.

The pointless shot caused the creature to open its jaws revealing sharp jagged teeth and roar. The sound caused Natsuki and Nao to flinch and the windows to shatter around them. It escalated throughout the hallways and into the fields of the mansion, alerting everyone to the foreign presence. Immediately alarm bells starting ringing and it became apparent that this was not part of the training mission.

Before Natsuki or Nao could do anything another roar resonated from the opposite side of the mansion and the creature seemed to lift its head and listen. It gripped Takeda and disappeared into the darkness. Green eyes met emerald eyes and both girls bolted forward after their companion.

They burst through the first doors they found and came across a theatre room. Swiftly they made their way through it into another hallway finding the body of a Searrs recruit lying in the doorway. At first they assumed the worst and approached it with caution. The boy had been in their class but they couldn't recall his name. He was pale and lifeless with one arm missing and half his torso gone. Nao inspected him for a moment while Natsuki backed away in fear.

Blood clouded her vision as she was hit with familiar flashbacks. She gripped her head trying to get rid of the memories. The shaking of her shoulder seemed to bring her out of her reverie and she met Nao's concerned and serious look.

They both shared a moment of understanding before proceeding on. Their pursuit however slowed down as they spotted Takeda's identification card on the ground in a pool of blood. Looking up Natsuki stared at the doors in front of them. With determination in her eyes she took a step forward and Nao followed.

They burst through the doors and began to shoot at the dark figures in the room. A curse and a yell caused them to stop. Natsuki and Nao looked at their victims in surprise realising they were human. Not only that but they had just shot Ryol and his two team-mates with their rubber bullets.

"Kuga you bitch!' snapped Ryol who was now on the ground clutching his leg, 'That killed!'

Natsuki felt a sharp pain hit her own leg and she fell to the ground. Realising Ryol shot her in the thigh she lifted her gun up at him ready to take her revenge.

'Stop!' snapped Nao and both Ryol and Natsuki looked at her, 'This isn't the time! We have to find Takeda'

As she spoke Ryol was helped up by his team mates, "Like hell I'm staying here any longer' he answered, 'Those alarms mean shits hit the fan. It's a code red. Code red means get your ass out or you're dead'

'You coward' growled Natsuki lifting her gun up

'what you going to make me help save _your _team mate?' questioned Ryol, 'We watch each others back,' he answered glancing at both his companions, 'that's why we're still together. Now move out of the way and here's a tip; It's dangerous that way' he nodded towards the direction he had come from.

Natsuki stepped in front of him just like he had back in the hallway a few months ago, 'Well, the way we came isn't exactly rainbows and flowers'

'Piss off Kuga' snapped Ryol, and the three of them brushed passed her.

Natsuki glared at them as they retreated before looking back at Nao. The redhead nodded towards Natsuki signalling that she was all in if Natsuki was. They proceeded through another hallway whilst watching out for anything suspicious.

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

It was only after a good forty minutes that they stopped in the same room they had previously been in.

Natsuki growled and swore under her breath. She kicked a piece of furniture in anger.

'We're going around in circles' commented Nao and Natsuki turned towards her.

'No shit!' she yelled before hitting herself in the forward three times. On the fourth attempt she stopped and stared at the ground, "That wasn't there before' she added taking a step back at the sight of red liquid.

Nao turned her torch light on and followed the trail of blood to a cupboard. Both girls looked at each other and nodded. Nao pulled the door open and Natsuki prepared to shoot at whatever lay inside.

"Please don't kill me!" screamed a familiar voice. Well, it only became a familiar voice after a few more seconds. Natsuki took a while to realise who it was because their tone was so completely different and horrified.

It was Ryol, he was covered in blood but it obviously wasn't his own.

"Calm down' retorted Natsuki, 'it's us'

Ryol's eyes sprung open and he stared at Natsuki with a horrified look on his face. He crawled out of the cupboard on his hands and knees before gripping onto Natsuki's ankle. He slowly ascended using Natsuki's body as support and the girl tried really hard not to hit him over the head. It wasn't too difficult to restrain herself. She actually felt completely confused on how Ryol had been reduced to such a quivering coward.

"please... Kuga... don't leave me here!' he begged, 'You have your powers now right? You can use them now right? We will be safe right?! Right?!'

Natsuki looked at Nao whilst Ryol gripped onto the ice Hime's collar in desperation.

"Where is the rest of your team?' questioned Natsuki slapping the boys hands away and taking a step back.

Ryol seemed to turn away and curl within himself, "They...they..." he tried to get it out but continued to struggle as the fresh memory replayed itself in his head, '...She took them"

'What?'

'She...' he wiped his face finally realising what had really happened, 'Oh god, I just left them there. I really am a coward! Kuga, ...am I really a coward Kuga?!'

Natsuki charged forward and grabbed Ryol shoving him against the cupboard, "Get a hold of yourself' she snapped icily, 'What the hell happened. Did you see Takeda anywhere?'

'No!' he replied, 'I... we didn't see him. She was there'

'Who was?'

'The class S!'

Nao's eyes widened and she interjected, "Natsuki we can't stay, if it's a class S we'll be dead''

Natsuki's eyes bounced around in all directions as she thought about what Ryol just said. She loosened her grip on him and stood back, 'Class S...' she whispered under her breath remembering what Midori and Dr Youko had been speaking about right before the Kiyo mission.

A Class S... that resembled...

Natsuki darted through the hallway that had taken them in a loop before Nao could stop her. She heard the redhead yell from behind but ignored her.

The ice Hime skidded around a corner almost slamming into a wall as she ran. A Class S... she thought. The conversation continued to replay in her mind and all she could picture was blood red eyes. All she could see was Shizuru standing behind the doors she was just about to burst through. For a moment Natsuki hesitated, she reached for the handle and stopped herself. She heard Nao's boots on the floor just behind her and it was enough to make her burst through the two thick doors.

Natsuki was hit by classical music and felt Nao's presence a few feet behind her. The redhead probably would have said something but the music had stopped her from speaking. The song was so loud and sudden that it caused both girls to freeze and looked around suspiciously. They were in a massive golden ballroom and unlike the rest of the rooms, it had no sign of dust. It was completely clean. Chandeliers hung from above illuminating the ground and causing the golden walls to shimmer in the light.

In the centre stood a woman in a gown swirling around and dancing with an imaginative figure. A red sofa sat to her right where Masashi Takeda silently laid. His arm hung over the edge, his fingers touching a small pool of blood dripping from his wrist.

Natsuki took a step forward into the light and the woman spun around twice more before stopping. As she spun all Natsuki could see was Shizuru's long golden locks. All she could see was a flash of her red lustful eyes. So as the person stopped and her eyes locked with Natsuki's the ice Hime saw Shizuru standing right before her. The image was shattered as the stranger spoke.

"Greetings" announced the woman, moving her arms up in the air and smiling. Her skin was pale, very pale and hair short and brown. She wore a white ballroom dress but its front was stained with blood; Takeda's blood. Dark eyes looked into emerald and the teenager watched as the woman's lifeless orbs closed. Her head rose and she sniffed the air. Silence reined for a moment as she did so, before her eyes snapped open with knew found knowledge, "Himes" she uttered before a smile graced her lips once again, "Fresh Himes"

Natsuki lifted her gun up in response to the woman's words. The smile that seemed to appear on her face was similar to that night. The night when Shizuru had been covered in the blood of her family –

The sudden presence of a Class D craver alerted Natsuki and Nao. It dragged a body along the clean floor, smearing it with blood and dumped it a few meters away from the centre. The woman in the middle of the room glanced at the carcass and Natsuki realised it was Ryol. The creature hummed deeply and both Himes felt the vibrations in their chests. It grunted, turned and disappeared into the shadows. Leaving just the three of them - well the three standing.

How was this happening, Ryol was with them just a few moments ago. The creature could have attacked both Natsuki and Nao. Their blood should have forced it out and drew it near. It would have stopped at nothing to taste the scent of a Hime-

A chuckle interrupted Natsuki's thoughts, and she raised her weapon again "Rubber bullets won't save you little one" she reached into the opening of her dress and pulled out a piece of paper, "… no need to shoot the messenger"

Her pale arm shot out. Natsuki simply blinked and the woman's arm was already outstretched with the crinkled sheet in her hand, "go on" she beckoned, "I don't bite - oh wait, I do"

Natsuki glared at the woman angrily causing her to chuckle again, "Come now" she urged "Do you think I – she touched her chest with her other hand, "would be foolish enough to bite a Hime? I know what your blood does to my kind"

Emerald eyes widened, this woman was a craver? … she looked human. Natsuki took a wary step forward. Could she be… just like Shizuru?

"Natsuki don't!" snapped Nao, "She is… she is Class S!"

The pale woman's eyes seemed to narrow and lock onto Nao acknowledging her presence for the first time. They quickly returned to Natsuki as the girl took another step forward into the light, defying Nao's order.

Emerald eyes flicked side to side suspiciously; expecting an attack. When she was no more than five meters away she lowered her gun and glared at their tormentor, "What is it?" demanded the teenager, "Who are you?"

"It is for you my dear" smiled the woman, "as for whom I am, I am Anh Lu, a pleasure to make your acquaintance"

Natsuki carefully stepped forward; "Let Takeda go" she spoke, "He belongs with us" now carrying her weapon in one hand. She wearingly reached out to grab the note. As soon as the tips of her fingers held the piece of paper, the creatures hand was at her side again watching Natsuki with curious eyes.

The teenager took a few steps back and slung her weapon over her shoulder. Glancing up to make sure the enemy wasn't advancing towards her she began to peel the letter open. Just as she was about to uncurl the last fold Takeda gasped and gurgled.

Three pairs of eyes locked onto him and Natsuki made a motion to go to his aid. However, the creature before her stopped her with words, "I wouldn't if I were you young one"

Natsuki's eyes met her tormenters

"It is too late for you to help him"

"No!" growled Natsuki savagely, "you… you didn't!"

"It was not my wish to befall such a thing on a promising young man" shrugged Anh, "I was simply doing someone a favour" she licked her lips with her tongue trying to get the odd taste out of her mouth, "He still had small fragments of tonic in him", she wiped the corner of her mouth with her index finger, "It wasn't enough to withhold my gift but it did ruin my dress"

"H-how dare you!" snapped Natsuki the room suddenly going cold.

The creature seemed surprised at the sudden change in temperature but stayed collected, "It was nice to finally meet you Natsuki"

Within a second the creature was next to Takeda holding him over her shoulder, "…it would be best to keep our little meeting a secret wouldn't you think so?" and then she was gone.

Natsuki stared at where they once were, the only remnant of her team-mate was the pool of blood beneath the sofa.

The midnight haired teen's fist contracted in and out as she struggled to come to terms with what had just happened. She became aware of the paper still in her hand, and uncurled her fingers to look at its crinkled state. She unfolded the wrinkly sheet and her eyes widened at the words reflecting off its surface, but what disturbed her the most was the red lipstick mark at the bottom of the page, the mark that sealed the letters goodbye, the crimson lipstick left just for her.

_To my dearest Natsuki,_

_It has been quite some time since we have crossed paths. I long to taste your blood upon my lips just as the ocean longs to touch the sun. Yet events have other plans for us it seems. I have much to accomplish and you, as I've noted, have been gaining quite the amount of accomplishments yourself. _

_Of course, I must protect what is mine._

_There are those who do not look so lightly upon us. Those who might bring harm to us. Fortunately, I cannot allow anyone to touch my property. I hope my dearest Natsuki appreciates my efforts in dismissing the one who shows such undesired interests in her. My Natsuki's flesh is mine and mine alone. I wish for her skin to be unmarred and untouched when my tongue meets its surface._

_I can still smell your scent as if it was just yesterday. Yet, slowly it is seeping away and my hunger for your blood only seems to grow. How I crave to be there right now. To taste your blood would be to taste the fountain of youth. Soon… soon my Natsuki, soon I will come for you, but there are others who demand things of me, other missions I must fulfil so for now I leave you a token of my desire; a crimson seal formed by my own lips for you to divulge in._

_Remember my Natsuki, no one will touch you, I am always watching_

_Forever Yours, Shizuru_

_..._

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**Let me know if you like it! Bit uncertain since I haven't wrote anything in a while! Kind of thinking I put too much pieces into this chapter but I didn't want to hold back the soon to be shiznat encounter everyone is probably waiting for.**

**..just... when will it happen?**

**...**

Omake;

Natsuki: dude... does everyone i know end up dying?

Nao: oh hell no!

Shizuru: _Where be my Natsuki-channn~!_

Natsuki: Did you hear something Nao?

Nao: Yeah... me slamming the door and getting the hell away from you death bringer!

Natsuki: O-oi! Nao come back here!

Nao: No way in hell! This face is too young to die~!


	7. As Red as Blood

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai Hime/the characters etc. they belong to Sunrise

Warning: This fic contains violence, blood, gore, action, death and the works (in case no one has noticed already) hence the M RATING.

**Thank you for your continued support and all the; ''Hurry up and update your damn fic you damn monstrous dog of a writer!'' - thoughts. I heard them in my dreams and in my nightmares ;)**

**Sorry for the mistakes, unanswered questions, and the complete chaos of my writing. **

**Hopefully I will be able to fix them and answer them eventually. **

**Please point out any inconsistencies, errors or anything you think should not be there or should be there. It has been too long!**

**Second Warning: A lot of scenes and chaos in this chapter**

**Enjoy**

**...**

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Chapter 7

**As Red as Blood**

By GrimaThanEvil

...

"_Where. Is. Natsuki?"_

Tate felt the blood rush to his head as those cold hard fingers gripped at his throat. He could feel the tendons and arteries in his neck collapse and seal from the force of the creature's palm. The veins in his temple slowly rose as blood began to accumulate in his forehead. The grip seemed to intensify every passing second.

The Searrs agent struggled between gapping for air and gritting his teeth in pain. His hands came up and clutched onto the thin arm holding him against the wall with meek effort. His body did whatever it could to try and free itself. His thoughts were nothing to him anymore. All logical plans and reasoning evaporated from his mind, replaced by the primal need for survival. Yet no matter how hard he tried he could not peel the hand from his throat. He dug at it with his nails feeling his body become week and drowsy. Spots began to form in his vision, his eyes rolling as he struggled to stay awake.

A light sickening laugh seemed to rupture his failed attempts at survival. The one called Anh leaned back in her seat and watched with amusement in her eyes, "Shizuru-san, give the feeble creature time to breathe" she was now sitting next to Mai, one hand on the girl's hip running a circle over her skin with one finger.

The creature's comment seemed to be ignored and she reached for the glass on the table as Tate continued to struggle. His eyes moved around desperately but all he saw was the ceiling and those dark red eyes forever unblinking.

Anh began to poor red liquid into her glass. The fluid twirled thickly around the crystal as the lifeless figure lifted it to her lips and tasted its contents.

Her eyes flicked to the glass on the ground whilst Tate managed to grunt out small sounds of pain, struggling in the background.

"I see Searrs has a batch of bright recruits," commented Anh eyeing the bloody stain on the ground "Quite observant. At least they have good taste in wine"

The grip around Tate's throat was released and he fell to the ground with a gasp of air. His hand automatically went to his throat and he rubbed at it attempting to soothe the pain. The agent wheezed and coughed at the sudden loss of pressure on his windpipe.

"It seems he has grown mute" Anh sighed

Tate struggled to speak as his body tried to recover from the sudden loss of oxygen. It's sudden return didn't help his lungs either. They felt overpowered by the rise of air entering and exiting their depths. The agent swallowed before speaking "I… don't know who you are talking about…" he wheezed, speech felt alien to him. His voice strange and raspy.

"Ara… what a pity" commented the red eyed demon before pressing her foot onto his side and kicking him over. Tate toppled without much effort, "It seems that your friend cannot give us any information either, considering she is unconscious; Anh dispose of her-

"No!" gasped Tate reaching his arm out to somehow stop the assault "Please, I… Natsuki… I don't know where she is"

"…it seems he does know of her" commented Anh lifting the wine glass back up to her lips to allow the thick red liquid to slip pass her mouth. The blood stained her lips until its dark colour was ruptured by a tongue slipping out and devouring it.

Tate forced himself up; managing to kneel on the carpet. His shoulders sagged in defeat. The words he had spoken made him feel like he had betrayed his friends; revealed what was not to be told even though it was never spoken of.

He looked up at the creature looming over him. Those red eyes stared at him darkly. The woman looked alien; a predator of her kind, watching him with those hungry, blood-filled eyes; the eyes of a killer, an animal, and the lifeless. They stared at each other, no one breaking eye contact, until Tate gave in. Cursing at his own weakness the agent glared to his left. He had lost again.

"Tell me, does Natsuki speak of me fondly?" asked Shizuru leaning down to his level and lifting up Tate's chin so his eyes met hers. Her fingers tightened around his jaw roughly causing his eyebrows to slightly meet. Her expression was almost sadistic, as if she was bathing in the worry and uncomfortable feelings Tate had.

"She…" Tate began fearing what was to come "…has never mentioned you"

It was the truth; Natsuki had never spoken of this 'Shizuru' in front of Tate. Maybe the others knew of her, but Tate knew nothing. He was the new recruit on the team, the Searrs agent who had to report all Hime actions and suspicions back to headquarters. He was there to make sure there were no changes, no defiance and no betrayal. He knew if a Hime was to go to the other side, which was impossible, it would mean trouble, but although the idea was unfeasible it did not go un-minded by Searrs. That in itself was suspicious.

Tate looked into the crimson eyes before him. Never before had he seen a Sire with red eyes. This woman was the epitome of craver. Those red blood-filled pools narrowed at his words and that grip tightened its hold. Tate was slammed back against the wall, although this time he was on the ground.

The creature leaned next to him on her knees, one arm resting on the wall for support. Then she opened her mouth and revealed her fangs.

Tate's eyes widened and he sensed movement behind the creature.

Anh had turned with interest, there was an unexpected emotion in her gaze, and it was quizzical. Which meant her partner's actions were either aberrant or…

The red eyed craver pulled Tate forward by his collar and forced him up with one quick motion. It was done so quickly that he could barely even recognize that he moved. Not only that, but his attention was no longer on the wrenching of his body into an upright position but the teeth that were ripping at his throat.

The fangs were already beneath his skin and it took him a while to realize. As this realization hit, he heard the other vampire 'Anh' mutter out a warning to her companion. It was too late of course; the creature was lapping and forcing the blood out of him at an alarming rate, along with Searrs' defense tonic. The tonic was designed to repulse cravers giving them side effects, almost like the flu for humans. Although it had its own side effects on people, it helped prevent the population of blood-cravers to increase and also aided in the avoidance of agents turning over to the enemy.

Soon Tate succumbed to numbness. His eyes glazed over eternally drowning in a trance before he was dropped to the ground.

Crimson eyes looked down at him with no emotion and the silence was ruptured by a voice, "… there was no need to bring illness upon you," commented Anh "Although I too grow impatient with humanities bickering and constant attempt of delay, I doubt his attempts would influence our plans. We should merely cause a scene downstairs if you wish to bring out a Hime. They are more than likely to be amongst the crowd youngling"

"I am reluctant to cause a scene here," explained the red eyed craver "The last thing we need is for Searrs to catch up on fifty years of planning no?"

"Your naive actions speak otherwise," chuckled Anh "The District would not take it lightly that someone of your demeanor assaulted a Searrs agent. Not with the settlement so close"

"I was simply conducting an experiment" replied Shizuru touching the side of her lip, "I had yet to taste the blood of a Searrs agent"

"It would be unwise to deliver that answer to an elder" sighed Anh at her companion's immature behaviour before her eyes rested upon the orange haired female, "What are your plans with the girl?"

Red eyes flicked towards the unconscious human in the room, "You may have her if you wish" uttered Shizuru coldly, "Searrs would probably clean the mess up for us, but I am not interested in looking after another newborn"

Anh looked at the dark young man in the corner, his expression emotionless, eyes black and hollow. In an instant she was in front of him, "Ah, but Shizuru-chan, you did so well with the last one I gave you~" she teased icily, walking up to the boy and straightening out his suit, "Quite tame if you ask me" she smirked running her hand along his jacket "…your methods are always so _cruel_" her pale hand ran along his shoulders but the young man was unmoving, "_Masashi-kun"_ she whispered more to herself than anyone else.

"-_will _inform our colleagues that our meeting will be postponed" finished Shizuru, taking Anh's glass on the table and sipping at the thick bloody liquid "It seems Searrs has caught on to our little game"

''Unfortunately, our little game is more important than your own agenda'' sighed Anh. She looked back at her companion smiling as those red eyes narrowed upon her, ''Relax there is plenty of time to play later''

''I have something else in mind"

...

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The dark and yellow underground bricks flashed before Natsuki's eyes as she ran down all the corridors trying to find her way back to the surface. Her leather boots hit the moist ground and she was respiring in short sharp breaths. She decided to breathe in through her nose and out her mouth to help control her breathing but it seemed like she was wasting even more energy. Her dark midnight hair trailed behind her and her coat and pants were wet from the splashing puddles she had to run through.

Somehow she had not been able to find her way back; the way she came seemed a lot different going back. She could have sworn she had kicked down a door where she was now standing. Her emerald eyes flicked around in confusion, all the doors looked the same! All the walls were identical! The bricks were covered in green moss and were all oddly colored but other than that… everything was too difficult to identify as an individual object.

Natsuki kicked the ground angrily and clenched her jaw "Damn it…!" she growled and decided to take whatever door she next laid her eyes on. She found one, there wasn't anything unique about it, it just looked like the rest of the doors; made of old wood and metal hinges. Grabbing it by the handle she forced it open expecting resistance; none came and she stumbled inside. Her emerald eyes widened at the sight before her. Dead carcasses lay on the ground… some snapped at impossible angles. Their lifeless eyes seemed to stare at Natsuki, their bodies limp and shriveled. Their skin was dry and wrinkled which meant that something had overfed… as Natsuki thought this two blood-cravers appeared, walking down the wall from the pitch black darkness above. They snarled at her presence smelling the intoxicating scent of a Hime. Their skin was brown and grey, arms long and bony.

Natsuki clenched her teeth together and pulled out her pistols; she fired at the creatures but they disappeared before her eyes at an alarming speed. Her eyes widened as her bullets hit the brick wall and she quickly dived to the left changing her position. Luckily she did as one of them dived and clawed at where she once was.

"Fed lately?" Natsuki asked. The fresh smell of blood and death clouded her senses. It stung at her eyes and filled her lungs with distain.

Natsuki swung her arm towards the creature and fired two rounds then one extra round to the left away from the monster. The first two bullets missed but the third hit the animal right in the jaw. The creature was stunned at the impact as its bottom jaw was obliterated. This gave Natsuki enough time to fire her kill shot. It hit successfully and the beast was left twitching on the ground.

The last beast appeared in the darkness watching Natsuki strangely. The emerald eyed girl stared into its red blood raged eyes, trying to concentrate, trying to forget. Every other time she had killed these beasts it had been so easy. Well not at first…

When she had first joined Searrs she had feared the cravers more than anything, but that fear developed into something more. A fuel for the fire that rose within her every time she saw such a beast feasting on an innocent family, a child, a mother – but tonight, she was hesitating far too much. She was on edge because the one thing she wished to accomplish had befallen upon her so unexpectedly. It had been in the most unlikely of places as well; Fuuka. It seemed that not even the safest place - the place where there was almost no outbreaks, no incidents - was truly safe. It simply means it is well managed, well hidden.

Natsuki snapped out of her reverie as the creature leapt over her, pinning her body to the ground. Images of the past flashed before her eyes as the creature roared into the air before throwing its head towards the side of her neck. She screamed as its teeth sunk into her skin ripping open her flesh. It wasn't long before its entire body convulsed and quacked. It seemed to gag before becoming completely stiff.

The crackling of ice materialized over its skin, starting from its nose and spreading along its entire distorted form. Natsuki lay there for a moment, her chest heaving up and down. She managed to lift her hand and shoot her pistol into the creatures skin, causing it to shatter above her. The girl cursed realising she was lying amongst the bodies in the room.

Quickly getting up, Natsuki dusted herself off and proceeded down into the darkness. As she continued the corridors had less and less lighting; this wasn't a good sign. It meant she was possibly going in the opposite direction from which she came. Of course, curiosity got the best of her and she continued on.

Leather boots paused at a steel door. A white light seemed to illuminate below it. Frowning emerald eyes stared at the handle and placed a hand onto its cold surface. She slid the door to the side and stared into a white room. It almost looked like a hospital room mixed with a morgue. She took a careful step inside, unsure of what may happen and stared at the bodies lying along the steel beds. The beeping of the machines was unsettling but what made her worry the most was that the people lying on the tables were not human – they were vampire.

Tubes were inserted into their arms, and their bodies were stripped bare. The three at the far end were the worst. One had lost all traces of humanity, just like the two cravers Natsuki had just slain. Next to it lay another, but only their arms seemed to have adapted to the overdose of blood drinking. The other seemed to be split in two forms, half their face was that of the creature form, whilst the other was human.

Natsuki's eyes narrowed and she looked around the room staring at all the writing on the walls. Pictures of the human anatomy were pinned all around her. There were Class C cravers as well. Half human and half creature adorned the left side of the room. There was even a fully sketched out anatomy map of a overdosed craver in full form.

Natsuki smelt the distinct scent of an emergency room. The odour of disinfectant floated in the air as well as the stink of death. However, her nose welcomed the aroma of caffeine wafting through the air.

As she whiffed the smell, her eyes found the source; a steaming mug. She walked towards the desk it was sitting on and touched it. The warmth spread across her fingers. She pulled her hand away and knocked a cordless mouse off of the table. It fell to the floor with a clang and the light of a laptop screen switched on. She ignored the mouse and stared at the screen; a single folder was open filled with video logs. Pressing her finger onto the touch pad, Natsuki opened one file.

She frowned when she hit play and a popup appeared demanding a password. With a grunt the ice Hime hit close and stared at the background image of the laptop.

Natsuki would have passed the photo of the man off as a complete stranger if it wasn't for the girl next to him.

The picture was bright and the ice Hime could tell it had been a warm sunny day. She could barely remember the last time she had seen someone smile so tenderly. The photo was inviting and had a life of it's own. But the joyful moment was lost in the past because the girl in the photo was now a doctor at Searrs medical clinic and the man was Hiroshi; the missing scientist Searrs had been searching for for years. The missing scientist who worked on the Hime project with Natsuki's mother. The only living person that could have the answer to why Shizuru had changed.

Natsuki snapped the screen shut and picked up the thin silver notebook. With one last glance at the room, the ice Hime decided it was best to move on.

Going back the way she came, Natsuki found herself back in the room full of bodies. She dodged them, grimacing as she stood in a pool of blood. Soon she was in the corridors again but this time she took a different route. Unfortunately it led to another door. Sighing she opened it up only to discover the familiar sound of music. Of course, she hadn't been this way before, but she could clearly hear the club above her.

Turning left Natsuki soon found the start of her journey. How it happened she did not know. The entire underground system was a complete maze.

Recognizing the door she had busted open she quickly made her way up the stairs.

When she reached the top she spotted the door back into the club and some stairs that lead upwards.

She took the stairs.

Purple and pink walls hit Natsuki's eyes and she winced; not use to the bright colours. Bright lights sat against the wall illuminating the pink into an even brighter colour. She walked cautiously along the hallways. On her right sat a number of private booths. Her eyes flicked into each of them; all open. Until she came to a halt at a closed door; she swallowed and pushed it open with one swift motion.

The door smacked against the wall, Natsuki spotted a red stain on the ground; an indent in the wall and a bloody hand print on the table. Her emerald eyes widened at the sight of Tate on the ground. Miyu was already present, leaning over his body and pressing a hand to his throat.

The cyborg's eyes flickered and she stood up glancing at Natsuki, ''One bite wound to Agent Yuuichi Tate of Team Bravo. Citizen Tokiha Mai is unharmed. Zero casualties to report''

Miyu looked Natsuki up and down, ''One bite wound to Hime Kuga Natsuki of Team Bravo. Zero casualties to report''

Natsuki glared at her, ''Keep that to yourself Miyu'' becoming irritated with the cyborgs programmed monologue

The cyborg seemed to pause and her eyes flickered, ''I must report all incidents to HQ. Not reporting information would lead to my dissemblance''

Natsuki's eyebrow twitched and she offered the notebook she was holding to Miyu, ''Do you know where they went?'' questioned the ice Hime.

''No I arrived to the current scenario'' the cyborg stated, ''This was left behind''

Natsuki stared at what Miyu held in her hand, it was a train ticket for one of Searrs night trains.

''My database suggests that it was intended for our unit to acquire it'' continued Miyu

''Well they would not have gone far'' concluded Natsuki trading Miyu the ticket for the notebook, ''Stay with Yuuichi and Tokiha-san. Give that to Yukino when you see her and call in to HQ. There is a maze of tunnels right below us that was not on the blueprints we were provided; so request immediate backup and a cleanup crew''

''Backup has already been dispatched via Kikukawa-san's request'' answered Miyu ''By the context of your orders I am to conclude that you will be leaving'' spoke Miyu her face emotionless

''I have to go after them'' explained Natsuki her jaw tight as she remembered Shizuru walking into the club. How could she just disappear so easily, Natsuki had been so close. She swiveled around and took three steps towards the doorway.

''We have been ordered to retreat'' replied the cyborg relaying the information she had just received. Natsuki tightened her fists as she stopped in the entrance to the booth, ''The likelihood of a trap is eminent. Until backup arrives we are to remain idle''

The ice Hime took another step, planning to ignore Miyu's words, but the sudden hand on her wrist stopped her mid-step, ''Disobeying a direct order indicates a need to be submitted to re-education'' explained Miyu, ''Consequently the stability of the unit will be jeopardized''

Natsuki growled and pulled her arm out of Miyu's grip, ''I can't let them get away'' gritted the ice Hime her face centimeters away from Miyu's.

''...and I cannot allow you to disobey a direct order'' continued Miyu clearly not intimidated by Natsuki's anger, ''Your body language indicates that you will refuse, and your core temperature suggests an act of aggression. I am here to assure your cooperation. My apologies Kuga-san''

The ice Hime frowned as her body became rigged, she tried to move but a stinging pain erupted from her center catching her nerves ablaze.

Natsuki looked down at the dart in her chest, ''_you...'' bastard..._ her eyes rolled to the back of her head and returned again. Her muscles felt like jelly and she collapsed forward into Miyu's hold. Her tongue became numb but her eyes stayed open. It felt like her mind had been detached from the rest of her body. Her legs and arms became heavy weights and there was nothing she could do.

Miyu wrapped one of her arms around the cyborg's own shoulder, before hoisting Natsuki up with meek effort and placing her on the sofa next to Mai. The ice Hime flopped against the unconscious drunk trying to get a glare out and direct it towards Miyu. Unfortunately her face was unmoving and soon darkness claimed her.

...

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A while later the music in the club went silent. The sound of boots and orders could be heard in the distance as Searrs agents took over the building. The club had become barren within minutes besides the black clad soldiers searching the area for a hostile presence.

Outside was chaotic. Flashing lights, camera crews and temporary canopies covered the street. Black armored vehicles were parked to block away most of the crowd, whilst local authorities and Searrs officers kept the rest at bay. Equipment had been setup as fast as humanly possible and Nao found herself being ordered around amongst the chaos. She had yet to locate the rest of her unit but even so had to report to one of the empty armored trucks. The interior was platinum silver, with a row of metallic seats on either side with a table in the center.

Hours later when the sky was already beginning to change from a dark black to a deep blue, Yukino and Miyu entered. As expected the cyborg had the same facial expression as always whilst Yukino had a troubled look on her face.

''Where is Yuuichi and Kuga?'' questioned Nao as the back of the truck was shut by two Searrs soldiers. Yukino and Miyu both sat opposite her as she spoke.

''Yuuichi-san is currently receiving treatment as he is unfit to continue'' commented Miyu, ''...and Kuga-san is being returned to our temporary location for re-assignment''

Nao blinked before the sentence hit her, ''What do you mean reassignment?''

''Due to Yuuchi-san's reports and Kuga-san's current condition she is unfit to accompany us on our new mission. Yuuich-san and Kuga-san will be replaced temporarily''

''What the fuck'' snapped Nao, ''what report, what condition?!''

''Yuuichi-san encountered two class S-cravers, one being Fujino Shizuru and her companion Anh''

Nao's green eyes widened and she glanced at Yukino who tensed at the name. However the short haired girl continued whatever work she was doing with the laptop in front of her.

''Fujino Shizuru'' uttered Nao her eyes going dark, ''...as in _the_ Fujino?''

''It seems you are not as surprised as anticipated'' commented Miyu and it caused Yukino to look up at Nao with calculating curiosity.

The redheaded Hime crossed her arms and looked to the side, recalling a memory, ''I already heard about it from Kuga while we were back at Searrs. During a training mission a class S craver named Anh attacked us, she killed our team mate Masashi Takeda and gave Kuga a note'' olive green eyes locked with Yukino's shocked expression.

Nao avoided the other Hime's questioning stare by glancing at Miyu. The cyborg's eyes had began to flicker as she searched her database.

''There is no mention of a letter on record'' explained Miyu and Nao stretched her lip

''That's because she asked me not to say anything'' uttered the redhead

''Yuuki-san'' frowned Yukino, ''Giving a false report-

''I know'' snapped Nao meeting Yukino's glare, ''...but you didn't see the letter or the look on Kuga's face. It was addressed directly to her, from Fujino Shizuru''

''That is a major piece of evidence'' sighed Yukino trying to remain calm as she leaned back and pressed her glasses further up her nose

''So is hiding the fact that a _Hime_ turned over to the dark side'' retorted Nao

''It was a reasonable decision by HQ'' explained Yukino, ''If the public knew that the top rising Hime had changed there would be a world-wide panic especially if we don't know why or how it happened''

Nao tsked and crossed her legs, ''What are our new orders then, kill Fujino?''

''Searrs has made eliminating Fujino Shizuru a top priority'' informed Miyu placing a train ticket down on the table, ''This was left with Yuuichi-san intentionally. We have reason to believe it was for Kuga-san''

Nao snatched the ticket off the table and looked at it closely, ''This is a night train'' she frowned, ''It's rigged with silver lighting and steel plated security doors, a craver would have to be suicidal to buy a ticket''

''It is why it would be the perfect camouflage'' spoke Yukino, ''Even with our security aboard the train, no one would expect a class S to appear. Nevertheless, to be able to enter a club here at Fuuka without anyone batting an eye...'' Yukino frowned in thought, ''...they must have access to inside information. Clubs aren't exactly common during the nights, especially here''

''Great'' uttered Nao dryly, ''Himes turning into cravers, inside corruption, this job cant possibly get any better''

''Corruption...yes'' replied Yukino, ''but inside, maybe not''

Olive green eyes and metallic orbs watched Yukino as she hit a key on the laptop. A large rectangular hologram appeared at the front of the truck.

''Dr. Hiroshi'' whispered Nao at the sight of the projected face ''At least we know where he has been all this time; working for the enemy''

''Miyu'' spoke Yukino, ''I need you to access HQ's history of Doctor Hiroshi's identification number. If we can acquire his log on details and cross reference the dates with all incidents involving a class S craver, we might find a piece to the puzzle''

Miyu's eyes began to flicker. They waited in complete silence for a few minutes until the doors to the back of the truck opened revealing a familiar face and another Nao really did not want to see.

''Ah'' gasped Yukino leaning forward to see pass Miyu, ''Okuzaki-san, Takahashi-san?''

''It has been a while Kikukawa-sensei''

''Yukino-san is fine'' assured the Hime, ''I assume you two are here to replace Yuuichi-san and Kuga-san?''

''Hai, please call me Akira-san then'' uttered the ninja Hime as she jumped into the truck followed by her companion. When they both seated the doors were once again shut, but this time the engine ignited and they began to move.

''Have you been informed about the situation?'' questioned Yukino

''Hai'' nodded Akira glancing at Miyu, Nao and then the screen before looking back at Yukino ''We are travelling by air to Garu Station in two hours-

Nao was too busy to notice what they began discussing because she was glaring at the new addition across from her.

''I guess we will be working together from now on'' he spoke, ''Yuuki Nao''

''I guess so'' replied Nao her face hard, ''Takahashi Ryol''

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

Boots tapped up the steps of the first carriage. Nao flanked Akira who was being lead by Ryol, his gun held tightly in front of him. They had arrived just as the sun was setting and Nao was unable to sleep for more than four hours before the mission had commenced. All she could think about was the night of her training mission.

She did not like the idea of willingly going into a trap.

Especially knowing that the person Fujino Shizuru wanted was as far away from here as possible. She could only imagine the anger and infuriation of a class S craver. Anh Lu had been frightful enough.

To think Fujino would kill their team member Masashi Takeda for being interested in Natsuki. Nao could only imagine what would happen if Fujino managed to escape their ambush. What the ex-Hime would do when she found out that Natsuki wasn't here as intended.

Not to mention that Nao had to now work with Ryol. He was a man now but it was only a few years ago that he was just a boy. A boy who had bullied his way through the academy behind his father's name. A boy who had some how lived after being attacked by cravers the night Masashi Takeda was killed. But unlike Masashi, Ryol had somehow come out of it alive and _not_ suffer the affliction of turning into a craver.

It was more shocking than cheating death. He had become somewhat of a celebrity amongst the recruits. Wild rumors were whispered amongst students at Searrs, Nao could still recall a few. Some said that Ryol was immune, or that his father had found a new way to repel craver venom other than Hime blood. Others who had a bit more brain power, simply believed he had been treated with the defense tonic earlier throughout his life; due to his father's status amongst Searrs.

It had all gone to his head at the time and it seemed that the cowardly boy clinging to Natsuki had never existed. In his eyes anyway. Now they had crossed paths once again. Nao hoped to god that Natsuki didn't know who had replaced Tate.

She shook her head pulling herself away from thoughts of the past.

It was dark now, much like the night at the mansion. It made Nao uneasy. She looked back to find that Miyu had stopped at the entrance of the carriage. The cyborg was quietly observing the other Searrs units entering their designated door.

They were clad in black with their hands firmly on their weapons. The dark clothing made them barely noticeable as the lights at the station were dim. Security was a common thing on night trains so no one paid it any mind. Even the twenty officers patrolling the platform and entrance to the tracks was not suspicious to an outsider.

Miyu turned away once everyone had entered.

Nao took her eyes off of her and looked around the train. The compartments were a rich brown color and no one seemed to be moving about.

Quickly they moved to their right avoiding the control room and stopping at the first compartment. Ryol pushed his back to the wall with his hand on the sliding door. With one look at everyone and a nod from Akira he pushed the door open. A man and a woman jumped in their seats.

Akira flashed a badge ''We are doing a security sweep'' she explained, whilst Ryol, Miyu and Nao hid from sight to not cause any alarm. If Fujino Shizuru suspected anything the entire mission would be compromised, ''Please remain seated'' she slid the door shut and they continued to the next compartment.

When the team reached the end of the long cart twenty minutes later, the squadron in the next one signaled them through the doors; it was all clear.

Akira sighed and pressed her hand to the communicator in her ear, ''Team Bravo to coms''

''Coms go ahead'' spoke Yukino's voice

''All clear. There is no sign of Fujino Shizuru-

Suddenly the entire train was filled with a security warning. The windows and compartments were all sealed by the thick emergency shutters, along with every door and exit on the train.

Everyone looked around in confusion, ''My communicator is dead'' spoke Akira

Nao and Ryol proceeded to check theirs; all they got was static.

''Mine too'' cursed Nao as bright white lights flickered before turning on. She squinted at the sudden sharpness. Even as a Hime they made her uncomfortable but cravers had a worse experience. Silver-light, they called it. A silly name, but it did the job.

Miyu turned around and faced the front of the train. Akira followed her gaze and brushed passed her, ''The control room'' she spoke and they made their way towards it. She stared at the small screen on the right of the door, ''It needs a passcode''

Miyu stepped forward opening her palm and hovering it a few centimeters away from the screen.

''Access granted'' chimed the machine and the door hissed open.

The booth was grey and metallic, but where a chair would normally sit by the monitors and keys was a faceless man. His shoulders were sagged and hands at his knees. He was kneeling in a dirty white buttoned long sleeved shirt and black pants. A black bag was on his head and in his hand he clutched a small device. His thumb sat on top of it but he was unmoving. When Akira stepped into the room, he sprung to life, lifting his head and attempting to shout through the bag on his head. But the sound didn't sound quite right even with the bag there was something off about it.

''Don't move!'' ordered Ryol jumping in front of Akira with his gun pressed close, ''We are Searrs operatives! Don't move! Stay where you are!''

He cautiously stepped forward until he was beside the man who's hands were now in the air, body shaking. Ryol glanced back at Akira who nodded at his silent question.

The Searrs agent reached out and pulled the black sack off of the figure's head, what it revealed caused him to take a step back. He looked at his hand and dropped the sack on the ground; his fingers red.

Blood gushed out onto the floor from the man's mouth like a river, his eyes were hollow and empty nothing but voids. His painful groans and gargles caused more blood to escape from his mouth.

Beyond the disfigurement it was obvious who it was.

''It's... Dr. Hiroshi'' uttered Nao

''Don't move!'' screamed Ryol as the man shifted on his knees

''What do we do, he is holding a detonator'' spoke Ryol, causing Hiroshi to freeze completely, the man couldn't see or speak due to his missing facial features and parts.

The new information caused him to cry, gargling in distain.

Akira pressed her hand to her earpiece, ''Kikukawa-san'' but all she heard was static; she turned to Nao.

''Yuuki-san'' Akira spoke up looking at Nao who nodded and took a step towards the doctor

''Don't move old man'' ordered Nao as she lifted her own hand towards the detonator. Her nails grew into thin claws and she slashed the air. Thin red lines appeared as she spun a web around the man's hand, the red faded to white and she took a step back to look at her handiwork.

''We can't afford to let you lose your grip'' explained Akira ''Miyu, take care of the Doctor, he is invaluable so we cannot afford to let him die. Nao and I will recheck the passenger booths and calm everyone down''

The cyborg stepped forward and knelt in front of the doctor, ''Hold his head'' uttered Miyu and Ryol looked at her for moment not sure if she was talking to him or not.

With a curse he swung his gun over his shoulder and grabbed the man's head either side. The doctor twitched under his hold, unsure, blind and frightened about what was going on around him.

''Do not panic'' spoke Miyu before her wrist slid open and revealed a small device similar to a glue gun. Without hesitation she pressed it into the man's bloody mouth and white foam filled up the orifice. It crackled and then began to shrink just enough to allow him to breath. Then she produced a small respirator, placing it in his mouth, ''Breathe''

''Bandage his eyes Takahashi-san'' Miyu stood up as Ryol reached into his backpack to remove his first aid kit. The cyborg leaned over the control panel her eyes roaming over the setting.

Miyu moved away and looked down the train, they could no longer see the other squad due to the security doors. She watched Akira and Nao enter separate booths before speaking ''It seems we are exactly where they want us to be'' she looked up at the lighting, ''...and that they had no intention of boarding this train''

Ryol squinted at the silver-light.

''Well if they're not here...'' frowned Ryol ''...then where are they?''

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

Natsuki glared as hard as she could at the guard sitting across from her. He was nervously avoiding her gaze and the line of sweat running down his face was hard to ignore.

''Do you really have to do that...?'' asked Mai forcing a smile as her lip twitched, ''...Kuga-san?''

''That damn cyborg'' mumbled Natsuki angrily, ''They're off hunting and I'm stuck here with chicken shit and you two'' she moved her glare away from ''chicken'' and glanced at Mai and another boy; Mai's brother, ''...Babysitting''

''I told you before, it's Rooster'' defended the man ''and protecting witnesses is a highly important mission''

''I don't know what they're teaching at Searrs currently'' snapped Natsuki, ''...but babysitting is babysitting''

''Look you may not like it but protecting the world from darkness is our job'' continued Officer Rooster, ''Our light will destroy the evil that plagues this world, and we all have to do our part. If protecting two lives is what I need to do then it will be done''

Natsuki rolled her eyes at the quote she had heard a thousand times while learning at Searrs, ''Whatever'' she crossed her arms and closed her eyes surprising everyone. The ice Hime could feel three pairs of eyes observing her before they found something else of interest.

Natsuki wondered what was happening with her squad and who had replaced her. To say she had been infuriated when she woke up with new orders and no one but Officer Rooster and the driver was an understatement. Her unit had already left and she had been transported to Tokiha Mai's apartment, where the witness had to collect her brother and follow Searrs' directions.

''So where are we going?'' asked Mai breaking the silence, ''We have been driving for eight hours''

''Exactly where Searrs wants us to go. In the opposite direction that I want to go'' commented Natsuki receiving a look from Rooster before he faced Mai and spoke up.

''To one of our emergency shelters'' explained the man, ''It is in a secure block built by Searrs for situations such as this, don't worry you will be safe there-''

That was the last thing Natsuki heard before the world turned upside down.

She felt the roof of the vehicle crack against her head as the car flipped in the air and impacted against the ground.

Equipment and utensils flew around the compartment.

Some thing hit Natsuki in the jaw

A body was thrown against her and then disappeared amongst the chaos and clutter.

Sharp pain pulsed in her shoulder followed by her ribs colliding into an object

She fell on her back awkwardly, followed by her knees, then stomach until finally the chaos came to a halt.

Everything was still.

The only light was the flashing emergency light. The entire interior was changing from black to red.

Natsuki winced as she pushed a piece of debree off of herself. She looked around and realised the truck was lying on its side before getting up. She felt her leg sting but ignored it. Her emerald eyes scanned the truck for the other three.

Natsuki spotted Mai's orange hair and limped towards her, stumbling over Rooster's outstretched leg. When she reached the end of the vehicle she felt for a pulse and noticed the girl's brother two feet from her. His chest rose and fell.

As soon as she felt ten steady beats she straightened herself up and tried to open the two plated doors.

The handle was jammed.

She growled and tried to force it open, pain shot through her ribs but she ignored it. Her chest felt heavy and her body weak. She let go of the handle in frustration letting out a large breathe.

Then suddenly the handle turned with one smooth motion.

Natsuki stared at it.

The large door opened, just enough for Natsuki to see the trees in the background. It didn't go any further and suddenly the idea of this being an accident was eradicated from her mind.

Slowly she pushed the door open peering at all the new objects that came into her view as the scene revealed itself. When she couldn't reach any further the door fell the rest of the way. She stepped out onto the grass misjudging her step and falling as she exited the vehicle. Pain shot through her leg and she paid it no mind.

Her vibrant green eyes darted in every direction; expecting an attack.

The wind picked up rustling the leaves of the trees. They had rolled off of the road and down an embankment onto a small clearing surrounded by trees and dark forest. The only light Natsuki had was from the moon and the stars. She took a step forward to get a better look at the scene. The only movement was the canopies of the trees and the shifting of the grass from the wind.

Natsuki made her way around the vehicle, she examined the tires noticing that none of them had been sabotaged. It was easier with the truck on its side but the cause was unknown to her and that made her very uneasy. She wondered if the driver was alive since his side had been crushed by the fall. Hopefully the accident didn't happen because he fell asleep at the wheel.

Deciding to check she stepped on a piece of pipe on the underside of the truck in an attempt to get up when the back of her collar was grabbed.

Time seemed to freeze.

Natsuki's emerald eyes widened, the whites of her eyes grew larger and her eyelids almost disappeared.

She felt the touch before she felt the pull.

Her hand was ripped from its grip against the truck as the force pulled her back.

She felt herself fall through the air

Her back arched as she was pulled

The force disappeared as quickly as it had come and Natsuki was still in shock before she hit the ground. The world came back to her as soon as she felt the dirt and slid to a stop.

She pushed herself up, one elbow on the ground and her palm supporting her before she froze in place.

''**Na**_**-tsuki'**_' the bite of the words hit her like a dagger

Then she felt the dagger twist in her chest as Fujino Shizuru stood in-between her and the wreckage with eyes as red as blood.


	8. Ensnared

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai Hime/the characters etc. they belong to Sunrise

Warning: This fic contains violence, blood, gore, action, death and the works (in case no one has noticed already) hence the M RATING.

**...and we have an update! **

**Also, what the hell guys, so many reviews~ favs~ and follows~, my feels are going crazy! I have yet to reply to them but I will try my best!**

**I have had requests to update each of my fics so my mind is splitting four different ways at the moment, especially since I try to update long chapters. However I will see where the force takes me~!**

**Thanks for sticking around and for all the support!**

**Enjoy**

**...**

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><p>...<p>

Chapter 8

**Ensnared**

By GrimaThanEvil

...

Natsuki pushed herself up watching those dark pools. Shizuru stood tall, her hair was darker than Natsuki remembered, her face pale, her gaze narrow and skin almost glowing in the moonlight. Her eyes were a dark crimson and deep within those depths so many raw emotions swirled. They were the eyes of blood and death but they once held a chocolate warmth. Not being able to see a trace of it brought Natsuki back to the unavoidable truth. All Natsuki could see in Shizuru, all she could feel; was a hunger for ruin; a thirst for blood.

A breeze swept through the clearing, swaying Natsuki's hair. The trees rustled in the silence but not a cricket made a sound. The grass shifted and the branches creaked but Natsuki remained as still as possible. She kept her face hard, her body tense. But she could not measure up to the statue like appearance of the craver across from her.

Shizuru's eyelashes never came down to meet her cheek. Her chest was unmoving. Her shoulders back. Her spine straight. She was that of stone; as her narrow eyes bore into Natsuki's own.

The ice Hime stood as straight as her body would allow. Her eyes clashed with Shizuru's and not one of them moved. Shizuru did not blink and Natsuki's heart began to hammer in her chest as the seconds went by. The stillness was agonizing and the longer it went on the faster and harder Natsuki's heart seemed to beat. She felt it pounding against her as if it was trying to escape from a cage. It got louder and louder until it was in her ears, in her head, in her hands and all she could see was blood. The blood of Shizuru's family smeared on the walls of their home; her home, flashed before her eyes.

Blood.

It was everywhere and it all lead back to what Shizuru now was.

The breeze stopped.

Natsuki reached for her holster and Shizuru vanished.

The next thing the ice Hime felt was a pain in her hand. Her wrist stung and her pistol flew across the field as Shizuru reappeared in front of her. The gun clattered into the grass and an iron grip held onto her wrist. Her arm was twisted back in the blink of an eye and her leg was kicked out from under her.

Before Natsuki knew it, the ground met her cheek and a weight was above her; pinning her down. The force of the impact almost knocked all of the air out of her.

''There is no need for that neh?'' whispered the voice into Natsuki's ear.

The words escaping those lips were like chalk scrapping against a blackboard and soft petals brushing against her cheeks. The voice was an unfamiliar sound, but it felt like Natsuki had listened to it her entire life. It plagued her memories, her thoughts, her nightmares and even her dreams.

Natsuki could barely make out Shizuru's face from her position. All she could see was the trace of a pale cheek and locks of hair cascading down towards her. But she could feel Shizuru's breath as it brushed over her skin. The hair on her neck stood up and a shiver ran down her back. It made her extremely aware of her position. Her neck suddenly felt itchy; exposed under a guillotine.

''Don't...'' growled Natsuki, almost spitting out the words, ''...touch me''

The ice Hime tried to jerk her body free but Shizuru's hold barely budged. The craver's grip tightened for a moment, as if warning her, pushing her down into submission.

Natsuki clenched her teeth and glared back at her captor.

''I have been looking for Natsuki for far too long...'' hissed Shizuru her voice further away now.

Natsuki closed her eyes tightly at the sound. She could not do this to herself, she could not get lost in her thoughts again. The sound of her name leaving those cold lips was almost familiar. It almost felt like her ears were searching, searching for an undertone that reminded her of the old Shizuru. But Natsuki could not hesitate. She could not let herself be consumed by the sight, the sound and the feel of the shell above her. The ice Hime had to use all her strength to hold on to her sanity; her drive. She had to remind herself why she was here and why she was going to end the disaster that was Fujino Shizuru. She could never have imagined how hearing her name leaving those cold lips would affect her.

The breath returned, far closer now.

Shizuru's voice was sultry, stretching out the words as if savoring the taste ''... where has she been?''

Natsuki moved her head away in an attempt to distance herself. Shizuru's lips were just a hairs width away from her ear. She felt the blades of grass probe at her eye and brush her cheek. The breath seemed to follow her and a sense of urgency hit her. She had to get out she had to move.

Natsuki screamed trying to break herself free of Shizuru's hold. She felt vulnerable, powerless; the one thing she refused to accept. She struggled but her efforts felt useless, it only made her arm burn and back ache. All she could think about was the inevitable bite that would soon come. Shizuru would sink her teeth into her flesh and fulfill her newborn's desire. The desire to destroy everything that was familiar to her. The desire to destroy Natsuki.

To remove the last part of her humanity that holds her to this world; that was a cravers first instinct.

The uncertainty of what would happen frightened the ice Hime.

Would she end up just like Shizuru?

She felt Shizuru's weight on her shift slightly, and decided to relax her own body in preparation for her escape. Ice began to form at the end of her right hand, it slowly shaped itself into a sharp clear white stake and Natsuki found her voice.

''Funny'' snapped the ice Hime, ''here I thought you were always watching''

A dark chuckle sounded above her, ''Natsuki plays the mouse well'' uttered Shizuru. But then those red eyes narrowed and just when Natsuki thought the craver's voice could not get any darker; she was proven wrong, ''_**Answer me''**_Shizuru hissed but Natsuki ignored the bite of her words. Shizuru's demand was meaningless to her. It had to be, or else she would not be able to do what needed to be done.

''I'm...'' growled Natsuki feeling the weight pinning her down, ''...going to kill you!''

The ice Home propelled her entire body and used all her strength in her next motion. She felt herself lift off of the ground as Shizuru's weight disappeared. Her knee hoisted her body up and she spun stabbing her stake through the air. It sliced through nothingness as Shizuru leapt back.

Natsuki dived at her with her stake. The weapon just missed as the craver sidestepped and knocked Natsuki's arm inwards, avoiding the ice and grabbing her arm again. Natsuki was pulled forward and Shizuru used the force of the motion to get behind her again. This time a cold arm trapped Natsuki's own arm around her own neck. A hand held her wrist tightly so she was unable to use her weapon. The position was awkward but it was almost impossible to move without choking.

Natsuki growled in frustration and then thrashed at the breath on her skin. Quickly, she managed to press the back of her hand against Shizuru's skin she sent a surge of her ice onto the woman. The vampire released her, hissing in pain before Natsuki swung her leg and kicked her in the ribs. Shizuru flew across the field, but quickly recovered by bouncing one hand on the ground and flipping herself to her feet.

Natsuki wasn't waiting for her to make the next move, so she charged at her; stake in hand. The craver dodged every quick swipe Natsuki threw at her; ducking back and to the side. The ice Hime jabbed, sliced and dived at the creature before finding herself on the defensive.

Shizuru's attacks were _fast._ The ice Hime struggled to avoid the onslaught of pale hands. Some how she managed to avoid the strikes thrown at her body, but found her limbs growing soft. Her muscles ached as if she had been running for hours. But she was not going to stop. They continued back and forth with Natsuki attacking relentlessly. The ice Hime's frustration began to grow as Shizuru dodged every fatal attack; every strike Natsuki threw at her.

''Die...!'' yelled Natsuki taking a swipe at Shizuru's stomach, ''...damn...it!'' she jabbed at the craver's neck but Shizuru just tilted her head to the side. Each time Natsuki attacked Shizuru would move just enough for her to miss. It made her furious, _was Shizuru just messing with her? Was it really that easy?_

She got angrier and angrier as time went by. Tears began to run down her face as she struggled. Natsuki wished her mind would shut up, that her thoughts would turn off so her body could do what needed to be done. She knew that the physical requirements to kill a Class S craver was immense. The only two Hime that had ever done it on their own had been Shizuru and Haruka. Natsuki remembered the discussion during her training.

The Class S cravers looked human and they stayed human to an extent. So it was only natural to place Shizuru in that category. However, distinguishing them from newborns and cravers who had yet to overindulge in blood was debatable. There was an atmosphere that emitted around them. A sense of superiority. When you gazed upon them you could feel it; the coldness, the animalistic hunger. The mind could tell that they were a predator and you would be prey.

Naturally someone would then flee, but Himes had to be different. Himes were different; are different. Every category of craver had no choice but to give into the desire; the smell of their blood. A degree of resistance could be held, but not for long. It was minimal but it was there. Even so, Himes could still fight and if they were to run, a Class S could chase them down. Perhaps they would get caught and fangs would sink into their flesh. But it did not matter because their blood killed all cravers. They were immune to the bite. They were the poison that every creature feared. The balance that would surely rid the world of the taint; the evil that had been plaguing it for so long.

All _except_ Fujino Shizuru.

So Natsuki had to admit she was afraid. If Shizuru sunk her teeth into Natsuki's neck. If Shizuru killed her, would she return to the world a monster? Because if that was so, Natsuki could not allow it. She could not kill and drink the blood of the innocent or the guilty. It was sick; it was wrong.

Natsuki continued her assault, trying to ignore the pain that was growing in her leg. Her muscles were growing weaker and weaker, but her anger and frustration kept her going. She did not care about the physical toll, the pain that her body would feel afterwards did not matter. It was easy, feeling the burn of excessive muscle use. What wasn't easy was the thoughts plaguing her mind, the possibility that everything could end right now. The stress, the nightmares, it could all end with the death of Fujino Shizuru. So she told herself anyway.

Out of nowhere Shizuru pulled Natsuki's arm forward. Emerald eyes widened expecting to be gripped in another headlock of some kind. However the force of the pull was too great. Natsuki stumbled passed the craver as Shizuru turned away from her. She staggered to her knees catching herself with her open palm. Her back was now facing the craver and she could feel the hairs on her neck stand up; acknowledging that she had her back to the enemy.

Quickly getting up in preparation for Shizuru's attack, Natsuki was ready to receive a second blow. However, when she twisted around the craver was just standing there; a few meters away. Shizuru's gaze bore into her angry glare but the creature stood tall.

Natsuki hesitated. She looked at the figure she once knew. Shizuru's body was unmoving, her chest barely rose, and at times it did not move at all. In comparison, Natsuki's chest heaved, her breath ragged and fatigued.

''You are going to lose Natsuki'' commented Shizuru glancing at Natsuki's icy stake, ''...excessive use of your Hime abilities will only make it that much faster''

The words sliced through her but Natsuki ignored them. She did not know why she gave the craver a chance to speak. The ice Hime did not need to know what the dead had to say.

She charged; beginning her assault again.

This time Natsuki felt slower, or maybe Shizuru moved faster. Toying with her like a child. Natsuki hated it. She wasn't weak. No one at Searrs could beat her in a spar. With the exception of Akira once. But Kuga Natsuki did not lose. Shizuru made her feel so inferior. Even now as a craver she seemed all the more strong. All the more sadistic.

The craver leapt away from Natsuki after dodging a collection of her blows. Snarling, the ice Hime rushed after her. Running across the grass with determination. Shizuru had landed five meters away, her face void of emotion. When Natsuki got close enough to attack, she did it without thinking, but the craver already vanished. Emerald eyes caught sight of her when she reappeared on her right.

''Stop running you coward!'' demanded Natsuki as she charged again; only to find Shizuru on the other side of the field. She cursed but wouldn't give up. When she reached the blood eyed craver again she sliced through Shizuru as she vanished.

The craver reappeared behind her.

Natsuki swiveled around stabbing at the air, ''Don't toy with me!'' she screamed looking around at the empty field. Shizuru had vanished entirely.

''You _bastard!_'' cursed the ice Hime looking in every direction. All she could make out in the darkness were trees and shadows. She was at the edge of the field now, twisting and turning in preparation for an attack. The branches loomed over her and she sheltered herself in the canopy. She knew it did not matter, Shizuru could see her in the blackest of nights.

''If Natsuki wishes to get rid of me so badly...'' spoke the voice from behind her-

The ice Hime pivoted ninety degrees, coming face to face with Shizuru. Natsuki glowered at the craver who appeared from behind a tree. As the _creature_ took a step forward, Natsuki took a step back. Shizuru seemed to circle around her and the emerald eyed girl maintained her distance. The craver came to a stop at the edge of the clearing, leaving Natsuki in the shadow of the trees.

-''...then go ahead''

Natsuki narrowed her eyes. This was a ruse. It was bait. A lure to mess with her mind. Shizuru would just kill her. But then again, Shizuru could have killed her by now. Maybe it was all part of her sick game.

The craver opened up her arms as Natsuki struggled to make sense of her beliefs.

It was a bad idea, thought the ice Hime. She told herself not to fall for the trap. Told herself not to give in. Yet a part of her knew there was not going to be another opportunity.

If she could strike now, fast enough, hard enough.

Shizuru would die.

''Come now _Na-tsu-ki_'' slurred the red eyed demon, a coy smile appearing on her pale lips, ''Do it''

There was something about the look in Shizuru's eyes that unnerved Natsuki. They swirled like pools of blood. Almost churning with amusement, of knowledge, of satisfaction. They told the ice Hime that she couldn't do it. That she couldn't kill Shizuru.

''Kill me...'' continued Shizuru taking a step forward, ''It is what Searrs wants you to do. It is what _you_ want to do''

Natsuki tensed as Shizuru came closer. She lifted her stake up, feeling the cold slip through her hands and coat it with fresh ice.

She took a step back, ''I'm not playing your sick game'' but Shizuru's eyes narrowed; glistening with heat as she continued forward.

''You _believe _ I am nothing but a monster, you _know _I am nothing but a shell _craving_ for blood, for death, for murder'' she took another step forward, the sound pounding in Natsuki's ears like a drum, ''Why do you hesitate then Natsuki? Why do you flinch? _Why are you so afraid?"_

"Shut up!" yelled Natsuki. Shizuru was trying to get into her head. She couldn't fall for it. She _wouldn't _fall for it. She felt the bark of the tree scrape against her back and realized she was trapped.

"It should be easy" hissed Shizuru taking another step; her voice low, "Just one strike. Do it. _Kill_ me"

Natsuki felt overwhelmed, she couldn't think, she couldn't breath, she couldn't concentrate. All she knew was that Shizuru was getting closer and if she did not do something she would die. The red eyed woman smiled and it unsettled her. Her eyes were full of content. Like she _knew_ Natsuki wasn't going to do it.

It was just enough to make Natsuki do what she did next.

She moved.

She threw herself forward, aiming the stake right for Shizuru's black heart.

It all happened so fast.

Natsuki's eyes followed her icy weapon.

The edge of her stake stopped against Shizuru's clothing and her eyes widened.

A cold hand gripped Natsuki's wrist and when the ice Hime looked up; Shizuru's eyes were a dark crimson.

They were narrow and full of a blind fury.

They roared with betrayal, anger, rage; a venomous wrath.

Her actions were clearly not what the craver had expected.

_Snap_ Natsuki heard the breaking of a branch before she felt the pain shoot up her arm. It was only then that she realized her wrist had been shattered.

Her icy weapon dropped to the ground and she followed it. Falling to her knees with Shizuru holding onto her broken wrist.

She screamed in pain, finally finding her voice

The adrenaline pumping through her allowed her to form another stake in her free hand. She plunged it upwards only to have Shizuru grab her other wrist. Release her broken one and throw her across the field.

Natsuki rolled across the grass tasting the dirt on her lips as she came to a stop

''You disappoint me Natsuki'' hissed Shizuru her voice a seething snake. The craver slowly walked towards her.

Natsuki growled as she sat up with the support of her other wrist. The grass was damp as it brushed through her fingers. Her back faced Shizuru and her eyes flared up at the sight of her pistol. It was right in front of her lying an arms length away.

The ice Hime dived for it.

She grabbed it with her uninjured hand and it slipped into her palm where it belonged.

The ice Hime turned and shot without hesitation.

...

The bang echoed into the forest.

...

A thud was heard throughout the clearing and the birds in the trees flew into the night sky.

_..._

Natsuki found herself on the ground, tears running down her face, with Shizuru once again above her.

Her free hand stretched out, trying to get to her gun but it was just too far away for her fingers to reach.

She tried to break free but the pain in her wrist shot up to her shoulder.

''You bastard!'' screamed the ice Hime attempting to wrestle herself free, ''I... hate you! Just...die!'' she struggled until Shizuru pushed her down more.

''Die damn it...'' she whimpered tasting the saltiness of her own tears, ''...just die''

She felt the weight of her defeat as the craver's breath tasted her skin

The last thing the ice Hime heard was Shizuru whispering into her ear, ''_Not tonight my Natsuki_'' and she knew all was lost.

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

Yukino sat in the back of the Searrs truck, surrounded by monitors and other personnel. Her fingers danced across the holographic keyboard. She brought up every angle of the train.

Everything was sealed shut.

No communication was going in or out. All the other channels flooded with orders, confusion and plans of action. No one on the outside knew what was going on and Yukino could only imagine the chaos within the train.

The passengers would be panicking and the units would have no room to move. They had been stuck like this for four hours now; attempting to break into the system. Looking around her, to make sure she wasn't being watched. The tech Hime decided that an extra push would be needed for Searrs to break through.

Yukino felt her Hime abilities surge and within minutes she had hacked into the trains security cameras. However, her path to open the sealed shutters was blocked, it seemed that someone had jammed them shut. In fact Yukino could not even detect them. It felt like they weren't even there.

She brought up the images onto every monitor. The chattering behind her stopped and even Yukino's eyes widened as she flicked through each carriage. She stopped at the control room.

''That's...'' whispered Yukino

''Get the bomb squad!'' shouted an officer, ''Sweep the entire track, station and outside of the train - Kikukawa-san!-'' Yukino jumped at the sound of her name, ''Is there a way you can communicate with the units inside?''

''Ah...um... No Sir'' replied Yukino feeling a little lost, ''I cant detect a signal for the rest of the train. With no connection, the shutters wont open''

''Alright then''

''However, if the detonator is not released before sunrise, the shutters should automatically release'' explained Yukino, ''That is; if the bomb is not on a timer''

The man nodded, ''Very well, try figure something out, Quincy and Saito come with me''

Yukino looked back at the monitor with a frown on her face, the last thing she heard from Akira was that Fujino Shizuru was nowhere in sight.

However they did find Dr. Hiroshi. Someone Yukino really wished to confront. Someone who could help her find the answers she was looking for.

Unfortunately, he wasn't in one piece. Her eyes were drawn back to the monitor, where it flickered in black and white.

From the footage it looked like the Doctor had no eyes and that his mouth had been severely damaged. She suspected that his tongue had been removed.

This had all been a trap and they walked into it willingly.

Yukino had expected to find cravers amongst the civilians, perhaps even Fujino Shizuru or her companion. Not Dr. Hiroshi holding a detonator.

Yukino concluded that the cravers had used his identification to log onto the system. He still had a high level of clearance with Searrs and therefore someone in the IT department had gone slack. It was a huge hole in their security. Massive. Yukino would have spotted it immediately if she had been in the department. In fact the hole was far too obvious for no one to have noticed. There was definitely going to be an internal investigation.

Her eyes widened at her own thoughts.

If Dr. Hiroshi still had access then they could use him. Since the train's network could only be accessed internally, they could use Dr. Hiroshi's pass code to override the system. If Miyu could some how get it out of him, they could open the shutters.

Yukino groaned, this was insane, how was she going to reach Miyu?

_Think_ she told herself

She looked around her at the other three personnel sitting at the monitors. Their superior had left to bark more orders at the patrol outside. With Akira and Nao inside the train, she was the only active Hime outside. If anything were to happen she would have to step up to the plate.

Yukino bit her lip. She had never been good at fighting like the others. If only Haruka was here. Even at a time like this the scruffy haired girl could not help but think of her loud companion. She had not seen Haruka since she had been dispatched into the new Team Bravo unit.

''-what are they doing?'' questioned someone behind Yukino

The Hime snapped out of her thoughts and turned around to look at the monitor. One of the personnel was staring at a unit in the third carriage. They were banging against the platted door that had sealed them off from the next carriage.

''...they're communicating with the other units'' uttered Yukino staring back at her monitor, she flicked back through the screens. Every unit was at a door, ''The messages would be very slow, they'd have to hit the doors really hard to get sound out to the other side-''

''They found the explosive!'' gapped one of the crew members, ''Carriage five''

Yukino immediately went to the footage of carriage five to find all the civilians and the one unit standing on the far side of the carriage. They distanced themselves far away from one of the booths. The seats had been pulled apart to reveal what everyone dreaded. Inside the booth was a massive explosive.

''The footage has a five minute delay'' commented Yukino and then she frowned.

All the seats had been removed from _every _carriage and they had built a barricade all the way to the end. She looked back at all the other carriages and found everyone standing on the far end of their own carriage. They were pushed together like sardines as far away from the bomb site as possible. They couldn't possibly think they would survive the blast...

''The bomb squad should already be...'' Yukino started, ''...at carriage five...'

The Hime pushed her face closer to the camera footage and narrowed her eyes. She flicked to another angle of the platform, and another, and another. Unconsciously she brought it up onto every screen.

''Where is everyone?'' mumbled one of the crew behind her.

The platform was completely barren.

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

Natsuki's eyes shot open, her emerald orbs seemed to pierce the darkness of the room. She looked at the unfamiliar white ceiling noticing the fancy bulbs embedded into its milky surface. Her eyelids closed for a moment and she blinked again in the hope of registering where she was.

Delving back into how she came to be lying beneath this particular ceiling was foreign to her. An immediate frown painted her features and she sat up in confusion. Using her elbows to keep her in place and hold the weight of her body the ice Hime looked left and right. Gazing around she took in the strange environment.

The place looked like a penthouse. It was made up of one large room with a feature wall on the far side. A wall of windows sat on the right, a piano in the far corner and two black leather sofas in the centre.

A pure glass coffee table sat untouched and almost completely unnoticed on a red carpet right in the small segment the two black lounges created. A painting sat on the bare wall on the left; it was large and smeared with blacks, reds and whites. There was a small pure white kitchen sparkly clean as if it had never been touched before. Not even a trace of dust could be seen in any corner.

The bed Natsuki lay on had a white metallic base with black and cream sheets. Two side tables sat either side of her; also metallic and adorned with three draws each. The side tables each had a lamp, it's shaft silver and hat made of glass. There was a door to Natsuki's right that was half open and she could make out a bathroom through the gap. A mirror sat next to it where Natsuki found herself staring straight into her own eyes. Her gaze travelled downwards and she realised she was wearing an unfamiliar white singlet with black and blue stripped boxers. On instinct she felt for the straps of her bra and sighed in relief when she recognised it's expensive fabric. Then she became very aware of her wrist; which was sealed with a white cast.

The memory flooded back to her,

_The edge of her stake stopped against Shizuru's clothing and her eyes widened._

_A cold hand gripped Natsuki's wrist and when the ice Hime looked up; Shizuru's eyes were a dark crimson._

_They were narrow and full of a blind fury._

_They roared with betrayal, anger, rage; a venomous wrath._

_Her actions were clearly not what the craver had expected._

_Snap, Natsuki heard the breaking of a branch before she felt the pain shoot up her arm. It was only then that she realized her wrist had been shattered._

Natsuki stared at her palm, flexing her fingers. The immense pain that she had felt was now gone. She was left with a numbness and guessed that her wrist had already healed. The ice Hime could not recall anything else other than her encounter with Shizuru. How she got here, she had no idea.

Slipping out of the sheets, Natsuki felt the cold tiles on the balls of her feet. She forced herself up into a standing position and crept away from the bedroom section of the penthouse. As she passed through she noticed that the entire wall could be sealed shut to close the room off from the rest of the penthouse. She slipped passed the sofas and the bright red carpet and stopped when she noticed a hallway against the kitchen and the wall.

Cautiously she stepped towards it and found a metallic door similar to that of Searrs' security doors. In an attempt to get through Natsuki swiped her hand across the sensor and the light in the centre blinked red three times before turning off. She grunted and turned around wondering where the hell she was and how the hell she was going to get out of here.

She was definitely somewhere she did not want to be. So she made her way to the kitchen and swung open the first cupboard only to find it empty. Frowning she slammed the door shut and gripped onto the handle of the second. Pulling it open she found it as bare as the first. Frantically Natsuki walked to all of the cupboards and found each and every one of them as empty as the last. She paced across the kitchen to the draws and each one was pulled out as far as each one could go; everything was empty.

The sound of the door opening and closing caused Natsuki's entire body to freeze. The ice Hime slowly let go of the draw she was holding open; careful not to make a sound. She slid against the wall, hugging it, as she slowly crept towards the corner of the hallway. Strangely she heard a low humming noise. It came closer just as she reached the mouth of the hallway. A figure walked into the living area, not noticing Natsuki's presence.

The ice Hime dived at them; tackling her kidnapper to the ground. She was not going to give them a chance to attack first. Her knees hit the tiles with a thud, and something large clattered to the side. A shattering sound pierced the room but Natsuki ignored it as she gripped her kidnappers collar and held a fist in the air. Just as she opened her mouth to demand to be released a high pitched scream cut her off.

Natsuki paused in her actions staring down at her so called captor. Shocked bright blue eyes met confused emerald. The ice Hime's grip loosened but she quickly recovered from her surprise and glared down at her prey, ''Who are you?'' she demanded.

Cerulean eyes flicked to the side and Natsuki followed them. The ice Hime lowered her fist at the scene she had created. A shattered plate was scattered amongst the tiles; its contents staining the white of the floor. The food had mixed with broken porcelain and water that had escaped its glass in the fall.

Natsuki looked back at the girl beneath her; she was wearing a white blazer and a black skirt that sat high on her hips. Her hair was a deep brown, plated and long as it draped over one shoulder. The startled expression on her face was still there mixed with fear.

''You... can call me Aoi'' spoke the girl cautiously, ''...and I would greatly appreciate it if you moved''

Natsuki glared at her but did a double take concluding that the girl was completely harmless. She stood up quickly, taking two steps back as 'Aoi' helped herself up. The ice Hime looked her up and down still not sure if she was as innocent as she seemed.

''Thank you'' uttered Aoi before turning towards the broken dishes and pulling a face, ''Aw do you know how hard it is to cook a decent meal in this place?'' she looked at Natsuki then before realising what she had said, ''Oh right. Sorry'' she apologised before targeting the ice Hime's wrist with her stare, ''Well we might as well remove that before I go find you something else to eat. Come on''

Natsuki lifted her cast and then looked down at her attire. She felt naked and exposed in just a singlet and shorts. She had no idea what was going on and when she looked up 'Aoi' was walking towards the open bedroom.

''Where am I?'' frowned Natsuki completely perplexed about who this girl was. She was human, so the ice Hime could not possibly be in the clutches of danger, ''What is this place?'' she questioned, ''...and how did I get here?''

Aoi turned around and looked at Natsuki with uncertainty, ''You don't remember?''

Natsuki shook her head as she followed the girl. Aoi walked into the room and then stepped into the bathroom on the right. She beckoned the ice Hime to follow her inside. When Natsuki stepped in she took in the details of the room.

It was a lot larger than she had expected with a spacious shower and a large tub. The tiles were white, similar to the layout of the rest of the penthouse, except smaller. A large mirror took up the wall above the sink and the bench. The toilet hid behind a small wall. Half of the wall was tiled and the top half was pure glass. Two red towels were hanging between the shower and the bathtub, bright and untouched against the white of the room.

''I'm sorry you must be so confused'' sympathised Aoi as she reached down to the top draw of the bench. Natsuki's eyes followed her actions. She noticed that, like the exit door, the top draw in the bathroom had a red light in the centre. As Aoi brushed her wrist across it, the light turned green. Emerald eyes narrowed at the new piece of information. Natsuki noticed that half the cupboards in the bathroom also had security switches.

''Don't worry you are safe here'' spoke Aoi as she grabbed what she needed and reached out for Natsuki's wrist. The ice Hime cautiously gave it to her and watched as the girl cut through the cast. The noise of the small machine drowned out any questions Natsuki wanted to ask. When she was finished, the ice Hime rubbed at her wrist, feeling the weakness in her arm. Her bones had completely healed but it still felt a little tender.

''Yes, but... where exactly is here?'' questioned Natsuki as the girl packed up the mess and disposed of the cast, ''Is this a Searrs facility?''

Aoi's eyes snapped to Natsuki then, ''No'' she spoke shutting the cupboard, ''This is the last place Searrs would ever be''

She brushed passed the ice Hime and Natsuki followed her into the lounge room grabbing onto her arm, ''Then where am I?'' demanded the emerald eyed teen, her eyes growing hard.

Aoi pulled her arm away and Natsuki let it slip through her grasp.

''Do I have to tell you?'' asked the brown haired girl, kneeling down and picking up the shards that lay on the tiles, ''You already know the answer''

Natsuki frowned at the reply, ''Maybe I'm in denial then'' uttered the Hime squatting to the ground and helping clean up the mess, ''Humor me''

''Very well'' muttered Aoi her eyes hardening ever so slightly. She looked at Natsuki seriously as she spoke, the shimmer in her eyes dwindling, ''But knowing will not change anything, neither will your so called denial''

''I kind of gathered that by the security,'' retorted the emerald eyed teen looking away and reaching out to pick up pieces of glass, ''No one is going to hold a door open for me''

''You are in Kiyo'' came the blunt remark, and that was all Natsuki needed to hear. Her emerald eyes snapped up to look at Aoi and she felt her hand sting.

Natsuki cursed under her breath as her finger dripped blood. She had sliced it on the glass. Aoi's eyes widened at the sight and she stood up quickly, ''Wait I will get you something...''

''It's fine'' uttered Natsuki stopping Aoi mid-step. The ice Hime put her finger in her mouth and sucked on it.

The brown haired girl stood on the spot for a moment; observing Natsuki as if contemplating on whether to ignore her words and get her a band-aid anyway. However, Aoi returned to cleaning up the mess.

''You must be starving'' laughed Aoi a smile adorning her features

Natsuki stared at the girl in wonder, she had almost forgotten what a real smile looked like. It had been a long time since she had witnessed such a thing.

''Yeah'' grunted the ice Hime feeling her stomach grumble in agreement, ''How long was I out for?''

''Three days''

''T-three d-days?!'' repeated Natsuki in shock. Her mind spiraled out of control. If it had been three whole days... Searrs would know that she was missing.

The organisation would have found the truck. The entire area where the accident occurred would have been documented, taken apart and wiped clean.

Everyone would be looking for her. Then again, maybe they weren't. Maybe she was just another tally on the yearly death toll.

''Yes'' confirmed Aoi, ''We were really concerned that you weren't going to wake up. Everyone was scared of being culled by-''

Aoi cut herself off then and frowned, ''Sorry, um... do you mind grabbing the rubbish bin?''

Natsuki studied the brown haired girl. The ice Hime did not want to know what Aoi had been talking about. She stood up, ''Where is it?''

''Under the sink in the kitchen''

The sound of the door opening stopped any further action.

Both Natsuki and Aoi looked down the hallway fixated on the person that stepped in. The new face was unfamiliar to the ice Hime but they clearly knew Aoi by the glare they were sending her way. The new arrival took three steps forward as the door shut behind them.

''What the hell do you think you're doing?'' snapped the newcomer, ''I told you that no one was allowed in here without protection''

The newcomer wore thick black army boots, black pants, a black shirt and a bullet proof vest. Cold eyes snapped to Natsuki and the emerald eyed girl glared back at the eyes boring into her own.

''What happened here?'' demanded the woman stepping further inside to see the mess

''I fell'' explained Aoi instantly, and Natsuki's eyes snapped to the girl on her knees.

''You fell?'' the woman questioned glancing at Aoi and then glaring back at Natsuki suspiciously

''Yes'' answered Aoi, ''The tiles did not agree with my shoes'' she let out a laugh in an attempt to fake embarrassment.

The newcomer continued to look from Natsuki to Aoi not quite believing the story, ''Uh huh'' she grunted deciding to ignore her suspicions.

The woman's eyes fixed on Natsuki again as she took a step too close for the emerald eyed girl's liking, ''So you're the Hime'' she stated an amused smile appearing on her lips, ''Not what I expected - Kuga Natsuki right?'' she looked Natsuki up and down.

Emerald eyes glared at the stranger.

Natsuki did not bother to nod and her actions seemed to make the smile grow on the other woman's face, ''Well it is nice to finally put a face to all the trouble we have had to deal with, but... I wonder...'' the smile instantly disappeared as she spoke, ''...what is so special about you?''

''Marguerite-san'' spoke Aoi looking up at the teal haired woman. The sound of her voice implied a warning but it did not seem to phase the other girl

''Relax Senoh-san'' the girl rolled her eyes, ''I'm just being friendly, right _K-u-ga-san_?''

The intruder frowned taking a step back to get a better look at Natsuki, ''You are a lot quieter than I expected'' she sighed and stepped away, walking around Aoi and into the kitchen. The teal haired woman returned with the rubbish bin Natsuki had completely forgotten about. It was placed a few feet from Aoi.

''Thank you'' replied the brown haired girl and 'Marguerite-san' smiled before turning and walking to the piano.

''Not to worry, the quieter the better'' she continued her one sided conversation whilst running a hand along the organ. She pressed a key and it rang throughout the room, ''As long as you don't give Senoh-san and I any trouble, then your stay here will be _comfortable_'' she looked up at Natsuki and narrowed her eyes, ''As a Hime you will remain here and you will not leave here, _ever,_ is that understood?''

Natsuki glared at the girl but slowly nodded her head, ''What would happen if I did?'' she needed as much information as possible if she was going to escape, and it seemed that this Marguerite knew a lot. Even Aoi would give her enough information in time.

''Simple'' shrugged Marguerite, ''You will be killed and Senoh-san and I will be blamed. _Then_ we will be killed. Any insubordination on your part or our part will likely have the word ''kill'' in the solution'' the teal haired girl's face went flat, ''So don't try anything stupid''

...

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

**A/N: So like it? hate it? want more? let me know? :)**

Sorry about the shorter chapter and ending it on such a non-dramatic note :3

One thing I did not like about this chapter was perceiving Natsuki as weak, so sorry about that guys, it's just how it turned out I guess. She will be having some kick ass scenes in the future to make up for it though.

Few bits feel rushed :/ but I hope you still enjoyed the read!

Next Chapter: will definitely have more Shizuru and probably Shiznatness


	9. Escape Act

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai Hime/the characters etc. they belong to Sunrise

Warning: This fic contains violence, blood, gore, action, death and the works (in case no one has noticed already) hence the M RATING.

Yet to update my other fics but please indulge in this one for the time being :)

So as always, enjoy and point out any errors etc.

...

* * *

><p>...<p>

Chapter 9

**Escape Act**

by GrimaThanEvil

...

Natsuki sprung up as if rising from the depths of the ocean. She gasped; reaching out into the air as she threw herself forward.

_Breath _she needed to breath.

Her chest heaved and her mouth hung agape as she struggled for oxygen. Sweat covered her body and her shirt stuck to her skin. Her eyes darted around violently; looking for something familiar. All she could make out in the darkness were shadows, until the moment of confusion passed and then she remembered where she was.

With a shaky breath she collected herself and pressed a palm to her forehead. Her fingers slid through her midnight hair and she looked around the room. Her eyes eventually dragging themselves to the mirror on the left wall. She locked gazes with her own reflection and could barely recognise herself.

She blinked and slipped out of the bed slowly. Her feet touched the cold tiles and she stumbled out of the tangled sheets pulling them along the floor as she walked.

The bedroom was still open to the rest of the apartment; since it was just Natsuki that occupied the space.

The ice Hime staggered towards the direction of the kitchen, brushing her hand along the wall to find her way. She was unsure of where the light switches were, or even if there were light switches at all. The lamps on the side of her bed were cordless, and Natsuki's past attempts of turning them on had failed. She started to think they were just for show.

She recognised the hallway when the wall vanished. Three strides later she found it again and followed it the rest of the way to the kitchen.

Natsuki opened up the fridge, reached in and pulled out a pre-made sandwich. It was sealed in a triangular container. There were four others sitting in the fridge. She placed it on the counter, not bothering to grab a plate as she opened it and took a bite. Her eyes roamed along the black windows and she frowned.

Something was odd about them. They were almost too black. No stars could be seen outside, no peaks of mountains, no moon; just total darkness.

Swallowing a mouthful of bread she walked towards them only to kick the piano with her foot. She cursed and fumbled around in the dark for a moment. When she regained her composure she continued towards her target.

Now face to face with the wall of black the ice Hime lifted her hand slowly. She pointed one finger at the glass and reached out to touch it. As the tip of her finger reached the black the entire wall flickered. Natsuki flinched, pulling her hand right back. With a frown she touched it again with the same result.

Determined, the midnight haired teen pulled her right arm over her left shoulder, before backhanding the 'window'. The entire wall wavered for a few seconds.

''A hologram'' uttered Natsuki out loud. She was underground. Which meant her odds of escaping just decreased ten fold.

Suddenly all the lights flashed on; igniting the room in white.

Emerald eyes winced at the sudden brightness.

''What are you doing?'' demanded the intruder and Natsuki swivelled around to find two familiar faces standing in the mouth of the hallway. She had encountered both of them four or so times during her confinement here. Each meeting had occurred in the strange cell Natsuki had found herself in.

Ever since Natsuki's first meeting with Aoi, the ice Hime had never been able to talk to the girl alone. The teal haired woman was always at her side. Wearing the same attire; a black vest, thick boots - well just a whole lot of black.

''You're up early Kuga-san'' smiled Aoi, who unlike the teal haired girl called 'Marguerite', did not have a sour look on her face. As expected said teal haired girl stood right next to Aoi her eyes scanning the room for anything out of the ordinary.

The ice Hime watched Marguerite, taking her in from top to bottom. She was just a little shorter than Natsuki and the emerald eyed girl wondered how on Earth a human would be able to take on a Hime unarmed. She did claim to be guarding Aoi from any stunt Natsuki was going to pull. In fact Natsuki did pull off a stunt the first time she found herself imprisoned. Lucky, Marguerite did not know about that. At least not for sure. But she did a good job of being suspicious.

Aoi had gained the ice Hime's favour by lying. Natsuki would not allow herself to trust the brown haired girl though. She was working for the enemy. But if the emerald eyed girl knew one thing, it was not to bite the hand that feeds. Not yet anyway.

''Couldn't sleep'' grunted Natsuki before eyeing the large box Aoi held in her arms.

''Oh'' mouthed Aoi following the ice Hime's gaze. Natsuki noticed the muscles in Tomoe's face harden and the teal haired girl looked away in distaste, ''This is for you''

''What is it?''

''Just go clean up'' snapped Marguerite, before receiving a glare from Aoi. Natsuki followed Aoi's lead and sent a sharp look towards the green haired girl, who now met Aoi's gaze, ''What? No point waiting for her now that she is awake''

Aoi sighed and smiled at Natsuki, ''I will put this on your bed while you get ready''

Natsuki started to feel uneasy, ''...ready for what?''

''Dinner of course - I mean breakfast'' frowned Aoi as Natsuki followed her into her open room, ''Sorry, we work on a different clock here''

The brown haired girl stepped over Natsuki's bed sheet; which was on the floor. Before placing the box onto the mattress and turning towards the ice Hime. Blue eyes directed themselves to the bathroom door, ''Do you have enough clean towels?''

Natsuki stared at her. The question did not register because over the last four times they met, this was out of the ordinary. Each other time Aoi had restocked the fridge, or brought the ice Hime books to read. Books she never actually picked up. But for some reason today was different and it could only mean one thing.

''Kuga-san?''

The ice Hime flinched, ''Ah y-yes'' nodded Natsuki making a ninety degree turn towards the bathroom, ''Towels are fine'' she stepped into the doorway and glanced back at Aoi, becoming aware of Marguerite stepping into the room. Maybe she was just over thinking things.

''We will clean up here'' smiled Aoi, "Take your time''

Natsuki shut the door and felt a huge weight lift off of her shoulders. Although she was stuck in the weird underground penthouse, it felt intrusive having two people come in and out without her permission. Being sealed away in the bathroom was a relief. With a sigh the ice Hime began to strip off her clothes; which consisted of a grey t-shirt and black shorts. The shirt still felt a bit damp from her sleep. Another unwelcome thing about confinement. Her arrival here had awoken her minds unpleasant love for nightmares.

When the water hit her skin, Natsuki closed her eyes. Her hand gripped the shower knob. She continued to turn it until it left a burning sensation on her body. The sting of warmth felt good.

As the sweat was slowly washed off of her, she began to contemplate on how exactly she was going to get out of this place. If the facility was underground it would be next to impossible. She would have to hope that there was a map lying around, or a giant exit sign. Not to mention all she knew about Kiyo was that it was full of mountain ranges, old villages and blizzards. If she some how got out, she would have no idea which direction to go and unfortunately her ice abilities would be of no help in the snow.

To think they were in Kiyo. A place Natsuki had convinced Nao and Takeda to go to in the past. She convinced them to sneak onto a transporter because there was a glimmer of hope to find Fujino Shizuru and Dr. Hiroshi. They had been caught of course. It had been a top secret mission and they had compromised it even before departure. The trio had been lucky, their only punishment was cleaning up classrooms. It was a slap on the wrist. Who would of thought that this place was hidden in Kiyo all along.

Now Natsuki was in the wolf's den. She wiped the water off of her face in thought. What was she going to do?

Her emerald eyes stared into the palm of her hand, she concentrated as hard as she could. No ice, no chill not even a shiver. Her Hime abilities were still repressed from her one-sided battle with Shizuru. She preyed they would return soon, when they did, she was going to get out of here. Maybe it would be a week, maybe a month. But until then she was going to get as much information out of Aoi and Marguerite as possible. Even if she could only acquire an overview of the facility, it would be a huge step into aiding humanity.

When Natsuki stepped out of the bathroom in a white towel she halted. The bedroom had been sealed off and everything was clean. The sheets were unwrinkled and the pillows were perfectly in place, but what was new was the clothes lying on the mattress. Three different outfits were set out; two of them being dresses.

Emerald eyes narrowed. One of the dresses was black with two cuts on each hip which would leave Natsuki's skin exposed. The other was a deep blue with barely any material to cover up the back - the ice Hime picked it up and realised the back of the dress was in fact the front. The dress cut really low that if she put it on her belly button would probably be exposed. She scowled. The third option was a definite; a long navy singlet with a black tank top and black leather jeans.

There was even boots and jewelry sitting on the side. As well as a black coat. Black seemed to be a big thing here.

Once she was dressed Natsuki stepped out of the room to find Marguerite sitting on the sofa with her boots on the glass table. She held one of Aoi's gifted books in her hand and glanced up as the ice Hime stepped into view.

Aoi stood to the side and smiled politely, ''Ready to go?''

So it wasn't her imagination, she was really getting out of this confined space. Marguerite's previous speech felt completely irrelevant.

''I thought I wasn't allowed to leave'' commented the ice Hime earning an angry stare from the teal haired woman as she stood up.

''Plans change and unfortunately you have been given the luxury of having dinner outside your... _residence_'' snapped Marguerite, ''Be a little more grateful''

''Am I not having breakfast?'' questioned Natsuki hiding her smirk when she saw the fierce look on Marguerite's face. The teal haired woman marched towards her and the ice Hime stood her ground, her eyes sparking at the prospect of a fight.

Marguerite stopped in front of her, their faces hard as they both stared each other down. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say, thought Natsuki, ''You better learn your place here'' glowered the woman

Strange. She was more snappy than the last time Natsuki saw her. In fact she even looked paler. Her skin seemed dry and pasty and her eye sockets thick shadows. She had not noticed the details until now. Although, that did not stop the ice Hime from disliking her. There was an edge to the woman that did not seem to fit. A darkness that almost reminded Natsuki of a craver.

''Marguerite-san'' warned Aoi but the pair continued to glare at each other, ''We are going to be late'' that seemed to do the trick.

The teal haired girl sighed, taking a step back, ''Fine I guess I can be lenient'' she looked Natsuki over twice, ''for now anyway''

''Let's go then'' spoke Aoi breaking up the tension and leading the way out.

Emerald eyes watched curiously as the girl waved her arm in front of the sensor.

The door opened.

Natsuki was shocked to find white hallways very similar to Searrs. In fact they were almost identical. The thought crossed her mind that this was some kind of twisted test. But the idea vanished as quickly as it had come. The corridor was filled with different doors, similar to the one that sealed her away from the rest of the facility.

Marguerite grabbed her by the arm and Natsuki shot her a glare. She wanted to rip her limb free but something told the midnight haired teen to let it be. The teal haired woman was focused on walking them briskly through the hallway and thus paid Natsuki's stare no mind. She continued to grip onto the Hime's arm tightly and Aoi followed closely behind.

Emerald eyes tried to take in as much as possible. Sadly there was not much to take in. If she described everything she was seeing, it would just be the same description as a Searrs corridor. Except the doors were slightly different. She looked up at the lights that made the place even more white.

''This wouldn't happen to be Silver-light would it?'' questioned Natsuki eyeing the bulbs lining the roof.

''Shut up'' grunted Marguerite looking around as if expecting someone to appear out of nowhere. When it was apparent no one was around, her eyes focused forward again.

Wait, was Natsuki even supposed to be out? Her uneasiness grew. Where exactly were they taking her?

''...and of course it isn't'' growled Marguerite hearing Natsuki's question for the first time, ''Do you think cravers would put Silver-light in their own facility?''

The ice Hime ignored the remark. This was going to be easier than she thought. Marguerite's tongue was looser than she anticipated. A craver base. An entire facility run by blood cravers. That was what she had suspected, but confirmation made it even more real.

Natsuki narrowed her eyes in thought, she had never anticipated cravers to be so organised. A place like this would definitely not be managed by Class Cs or even Class Bs. This had hell written all over it. Only the worst kind of cravers could organise this. The kind Natsuki and anyone else never wanted to encounter.

How big was this facility exactly?

She glanced at Marguerite, too many questions would give her away and unfortunately Natsuki wasn't the conversation type. It would be even more suspicious.

They came to an abrupt halt at a door. Marguerite turned her head in every direction, checking that no one was around whilst Aoi stepped forward. The door opened to reveal an elevator shaft. Natsuki was pushed inside the compartment.

''Hey!'' growled the ice Hime at the sudden shove

''Stop looking around'' ordered Marguerite. The woman may be loose tongued but she sure was observant, ''You aren't going to escape, so don't try anything stupid''

The sensation of her stomach flipping hit Natsuki as the lift went up.

After a few seconds an abrupt urge to breakaway from her two escorts hit the ice Hime. She would knock Marguerite out first, then go for Aoi. It would be the easiest way, unless - Natsuki glanced at the brown haired girl - the friendly behaviour was just an act and the girl was a killer fighter. Before Natsuki could get a chance to even decide if it would be a good idea the elevator stopped and the doors unlocked.

This time the ice Hime found herself in a completely different scene. The elevator was definitely out of place. Marguerite dragged her out and emerald eyes watched the lift doors close. Another door sealed over it, hiding the shaft from plain sight. Well it was not out of place anymore.

Everything was a lot darker. The corridor was made of stone and the floors were a maple granite. A single line of red and gold carpet spread down the very centre. It's pattern an intricate web of coils and swirls. It was like she had stepped into a cathedral. Paintings and torches lined the walls and the hallway cut into a fork at the end. Sadly, there were no windows in sight, so Natsuki had no chance of getting a glimpse of the outside world.

''Wait'' hissed Marguerite pulling the ice Hime back. Aoi froze and looked down the hallway. They stood there for ten seconds and Natsuki glanced between Aoi, Marguerite and the passage.

''This way'' ordered the teal haired woman leading them back the way they came. They walked faster now - a lot faster. Natsuki thought they would break into a run at any second. She stole a glance over her own shoulder; looking back to see what exactly they were avoiding but saw nothing.

They continued through the 'cathedral' turning left every chance they got until finally they took a right; briskly walking all the way down to the end of the passage. Two large doors awaited them.

''Here we are'' sighed Aoi the relief evident in her voice.

Marguerite did not seem so at ease, she continued to look around as if someone was going to jump out of the shadows and attack them. When she deemed the area clear her eyes locked onto Natsuki, ''If you value your life...'' she started, ''...don't try and be clever''

''I don't need to try'' retorted Natsuki fixing Marguerite with a stony gaze.

What the teal haired woman did next shocked the ice Hime. She had expected a curse or a scowl, but her eyes sparkled and then she laughed.

It echoed down the hallway and suddenly there were footsteps.

The laughter died instantly.

Natsuki was not oblivious to the look of horror on Aoi's face. The footsteps grew louder and the ice Hime realised there was more than one set. Before Natsuki could say anything, Marguerite grabbed her and literally threw her through the doors.

As quickly as they had opened they had closed. It was only then the ice Hime realised she was stuck on the other side. She grabbed a hold of the handles and furiously tried to pull them open. She dreaded about what the hell was going on outside. The doors wouldn't budge but she continued to try. Until something made her stop.

The silence in the room was thick. It sent a chill up her spine and she could hear her consciousness screaming at her. It begged her not to turn around. It pleaded that the feeling dispersing across her skin was an overreaction. It preyed that she was alone.

Slowly she twisted her body to face the rest of the room.

It was a dining hall, with a long dark brown table and twelve thick cushioned chairs. At the end of that table, occupying one of those twelve chairs, sat the one person Natsuki would once again drown in.

-0-0-0-

Silence.

The only noise in the room was the flow of water as Natsuki's glass was filled.

The stillness made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. The room was cold, or maybe it was because Natsuki felt exposed. Her hand twitched slightly, becoming aware of the knife on her right. A potential weapon.

The sound of liquid hitting glass stopped, and the bald man stepped away from the table, his footsteps ghosting across the floor. He disappeared without a word and a maid emerged from the shadows. She placed a tray of food in front of Natsuki but the emerald eyed Hime paid it no mind. She could smell the whiff of bacon and eggs. The warmth of the meal even radiated to her arms. Her stomach was hit with an emptiness but she had no appetite.

Her emerald eyes bore into unrecognisable crimson. All the anger, betrayal and wildness she had witnessed nights ago was gone. There was an invisible sheet over Shizuru's features only allowing a glimmer of amusement to escape. The craver was completely composed. Her posture perfectly straight and her hair flowing down over her shoulders.

Natsuki broke eye contact when the 'butler' resurfaced at Shizuru's side. He carried a steaming pot and placed it onto the table, taking the thick liquid out with a ladle. The maid arrived with a bottle of wine. A wine Natsuki recognised. It's contents poured out into Shizuru's glass and Natsuki watched the red stain its way to the top. The bowel of what looked like soup or stew, was placed in front of Shizuru and the pot was left closer to the centre of the table.

When Natsuki looked back at the craver, she found that red eyes had never left her face. At that thought those eyes dragged themselves up and down her body making note of her attire; before locking onto Natsuki's exposed wrist.

Shizuru's pale hand reached out for her wine glass, it lifted up to her lips and she sipped at the red contents. A tongue slipped out before the silence was ruptured, ''I see Natsuki has recovered'' uttered the craver placing her glass down and closing her eyes.

Natsuki had been unable to say a word since she had found herself in the current situation. She should have trusted her instincts. The uneasiness and unfamiliarity of leaving her confinement should have been enough for her to come to a conclusion similar to this. She should have taken Marguerite and Aoi out in the elevator and risked it. Anything to be out of this setting. But when Shizuru spoke words of retort formed on Natsuki's own lips and she couldn't stop herself.

''No thanks to you'' she snapped curling her hand around the knife under her palm. Red eyes narrowed with interest, Shizuru had immediately noticed her actions but ignored the prospect of attack.

Natsuki's body remained taught, her arms stiff, muscles strained and legs ready to dive away at any moment. She wondered if she could throw the knife fast enough that it would actually hit the craver.

A smile stitched its way onto Shizuru's lips, ''Natsuki should eat'' she suggested and the emerald eyed Hime swore she almost saw a dark hint of humour in those red eyes.

''I've lost my appetite'' her jaw tightened

''Ara I do recall the time of Natsuki's last dinner'' spoke the craver. God that voice, it was so familiar. It was repulsively melodic and nauseatingly recognizable, ''You must be hungry''

No matter how much time had passed Natsuki found herself begging to hang on to every word. But her resolve kept her in place. This sudden friendliness was all a trick, a trick to get in her head. She looked to her freshly healed wrist reminding herself of what Shizuru had done. She was the enemy and she was not going to fall for her minds inappropriate illusions; that Shizuru was still Shizuru.

The smell of her breakfast wafted into her nose and she felt her stomach growl. She wondered if the craver could hear it. Emerald eyes glanced up to find Shizuru placing a spoonful of stew into her mouth; red stew. Natsuki could only guess what the craver's dinner was. Unfortunately she had a horrible feeling that her speculation was correct.

If the monster had heard her stomach's cry out for hunger Shizuru did not reveal it. So with a tight lip and a silent curse, Natsuki picked up her fork and looked down at her meal for the first time.

As she ate she began to loathe every single bite. It was revoltingly good for a meal so simple. At first she detested each mouthful because she couldn't shake the feeling that some how the craver had won. By the fifth bite, she did not care anymore. This was one hundred times better than packaged sandwiches. It was warm, fresh and delicious.

She glanced up a few times to find Shizuru slowly eating her meal. The third time she looked up the craver caught her and a cold smile stitched its way onto that pale complexion. Natsuki almost flinched at the sight. Her meal almost went down the wrong tube. She struggled to compose herself and grabbed at a napkin putting it to her mouth. She sat up straight and glared at the craver.

Once Natsuki had finished her meal in complete silence, she watched Shizuru slowly sipping at her drink. She swore the ex-Hime had barely scratched at it's contents and concluded the creature was just lengthening out the meal.

It was Natsuki's turn to break the quiet, ''Why am I here?'' she demanded wondering why the hell she was still alive. It was the biggest question in the room and she was sick of dancing around it, ''...or did you force me to have breakfast with you so you could finally finish the job?''

Shizuru brought her glass up to her lips, her eyes dancing as she sipped at the blood, ''Natsuki thinks I would go through all the trouble of bringing her here...'' she placed the glass back down onto the table ''...just to kill her?''

''You're a monster, a craver, it's what you do'' stated the ice Hime bluntly, gripping the knife in her hand tightly.

''Perhaps'' agreed Shizuru taking another drink, ''But there are bigger things than my quest to be reborn''

Natsuki kicked her chair back as soon as Shizuru stood up.

She held the knife in front of her chest but it was too late. The craver was already on top of her and she was slammed against the doors. She expected to feel her wrist snap in an unnatural direction and squeezed her eyes shut. A re-enactment of their previous battle.

But unexpectedly, a soft cold sensation enveloped her fist and the knife was slipped out of her hand and tossed to the side.

Emerald eyes snapped open and Natsuki stared at the craver in shock.

Shizuru stepped back and looked her up and down, ''I cannot apologise for my actions'' she uttered directing her eyes to the ice Hime's wrist. Shizuru's hand ran down the limb gently, ''...as Natsuki has witnessed my kind do not care much for reason. Please reframe from rash acts in the future, I am unaware of what the consequences may be''

''You...'' whispered the ice Hime at a loss for words, she ripped her wrist away from Shizuru's touch, hugging it to her chest, ''What do you want from me?''

This Shizuru was completely different to the angry monster she had encountered previously. A monster still, but the ferocity and animalistic rage was gone. It was clear that Shizuru was in her element, that everything around her was controlled.

''Ah Tomoe-san did not tell you'' smiled Shizuru stepping back further and leaning back onto the table. The craver hummed in amusement as if laughing at her own personal joke. Then she spoke again, her voice deeper as she locked eyes with the Hime, ''Natsuki has nothing to worry about - she is safe here, she should take comfort in that fact''

That was exactly what Aoi said and hearing it out of Shizuru's mouth was not comforting in the least.

''I highly doubt that'' snapped the ice Hime looking Shizuru up and down this time, ''_Here_ is the last place I want to be'' she emphasised her distaste, almost spitting out the words.

The craver seemed surprised at the sudden backbone Natsuki had gained. The ice Hime had literally been at the monster's mercy; out of some rash action to defend herself. For all Natsuki knew the craver could have got out of her seat to leave. Yet Shizuru had not punished her for her act of defiance.

Shizuru picked up Natsuki's glass of water. Her eyes never leaving the Hime's. They twinkled with a dark amusement.

''Natsuki may always join me in my quarters'' smirked Shizuru, ''But I cannot guarantee that I would be able to resist..._a taste_'' she pressed the liquid to her lips then, watching for Natsuki's reaction as she sipped at the water.

The last word almost caused the midnight haired woman to shiver.

''Go ahead'' snapped the girl her eyebrows knitting together in anger. The craver was enjoying this too much. Natsuki felt like a caged pet at the mercy of her owner. It only fuelled the irritation growing inside of her, ''Bite me, I'll enjoy watching you turn to ice'' she snarled.

Shizuru placed the glass back onto the table, standing up straight and taking three strides towards Natsuki. The ice Hime immediately stepped back to find the door in the way of her retreat. She was cornered.

''What makes you think I will turn to ice?'' questioned Shizuru her eyes narrowing at the proclamation

_Stop_ spoke a voice in her head but Natsuki ignored it.

_Don't do it_,it warned but the ice Hime did not hear a thing. She kept going; drowning out her conscience.

''I'm willing to find out'' affirmed the midnight haired woman. She could not lose her act of bravery, even if she was trapped in the coils of a snake. Her jaw tightened and she glared at the craver daring her to make a move.

_This is a mistake_.

Shizuru stepped close then, so close that her chestnut tresses brushed against Natsuki's cheek.

''Don't tempt me _Na-tsu-ki_''' came the whisper, the cold air dancing against the Hime's ear.

_You god damn baka._

Immediately regretting her actions the ice Hime continued to hold her farce. Blood red eyes watched from the corner, the movement causing more locks of hair to brush against her skin.

_Get out_. Her mind screamed, _Get away now!_

Natsuki swallowed nervously and stepped to the right, ducking away from the craver's hold. She had lost again. Encouraging the craver was not an option she would ever take again.

Having the comfort of knowing that her blood turned monster's into statues of ice, Natsuki still hated the idea of being bitten. Especially by Shizuru. The idea would only sink the Hime into further despair. She did not know why the hell she had suggested it. Maybe she wanted to test Shizuru, to see if something was left inside the craver that was human. But she had long concluded that the only human thing about her was the shell encasing the monster.

If Shizuru bit her, then Natsuki would truly be defeated. The reality of the world would be too much. It would destroy her. Perhaps a part of the ice Hime was still in denial about Shizuru's condition. She could only take so much horror.

Natsuki cursed inwardly.

Shizuru let out a light laugh at her actions, but her eyes soon darkened and her expression changed to stone. The ice Hime thought she was the only one who could make the temperature in a room drop but she was wrong.

''Where have you been all this time?'' the words were hard, scraping against her ears like nails.

Natsuki gulped down the lump in her throat. The craver's eyes swirled with a shade she had never seen before. It made her heart beat faster.

She felt alarms going off in her head but again ignored her better judgment. She was not going to submit to this _thing_ ''Like hell I would tell you''

_Stay strong_ Natsuki told herself. Although she already had about thirty moments of weakness throughout the entire meal. Staying strong now could be deemed irrelevant.

There was a flicker of anger in Shizuru's eyes, ''Do not test my patience, it is very hard to remain composed in the presence of a Hime'' the craver sighed, ''...especially when your blood is so enticing''

But the conversation was cut short. A door in the back of the room was pushed open, hidden in the shadows. The ice Hime had no idea it even existed.

''Excuse me Fujino-sama'' wheezed the 'butler' for the first time, the new voice startled Natsuki. The man's tone resonated through the room painfully. It sounded as though he only had half a lung, ''There is an urgent matter that requires your attention''

Shizuru's eyes narrowed at the man, before she reached out and opened one of the doors Natsuki had entered in. The two people outside turned around in surprise.

''Return her to her quarters'' spoke the ex-Hime before walking further into the room towards the 'butler', ''I will see you later Natsuki''

Then she was gone.

-0-0-0-

Natsuki stared at the door hidden in the back of the room. She pondered about what was so urgent. Since it was breakfast time the sun would be out. The cravers would not be able to go anywhere. She continued to think about the idea, until Marguerite peered into the room and glowered at her. The teal haired girl stormed over, grabbed Natsuki's arm and pulled her out, ''No time for daydreaming''

When Natsuki found herself back in the hallway, she looked around for evidence of some kind of scene. She remembered the footsteps and how Marguerite had basically thrown her into the dining hall.

Her eyes darted left and right, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, except for where she was of course. Trapped in a lair with a sadistic craver and her followers. Emereald eyes glazed over the two people leading her through the corridor. Aoi and Marguerite both looked the same. There was no sign of any confrontation or dishevelment. Nothing new anyway.

The teal haired woman still looked incredibly pale and Aoi was the same as ever. The ice Hime had first thought she was forbidden to leave her room. That the duo had taken her out of her confinement without permission. However, that idea was abolished when it had been clear that Shizuru was expecting her.

Then... why were they walking so fast again?

Emerald eyes looked from Aoi to Marguerite. The brown haired girl's eyes occasionally darted around, but not as ferociously as the teal haired guard. They seemed to be rushing towards the elevator shaft. What were they avoiding?

Then Natsuki felt it, she looked at her arm and realised that her coat was left at the dining hall. The butler had taken it when she had been seated. But the jacket was irrelevant, what mattered was that Natsuki's arms were bare. She could feel the hold the teal haired woman had on her. Tomoe's grip was feeble and her hand was cold. The ice Hime did a double take. The way the woman was carrying herself look strained as well.

Could she be injured?

This would be Natsuki's chance.

At that thought they reached the elevator shaft, it was five meters away when the ice Hime ripped her arm free; spun and kicked Marguerite in the back. The guard went flying forwards and Aoi staggered to the side in shock.

''Sorry but this is where we part ways'' snapped Natsuki running passed the teal haired woman and the elevator shaft. She completely ignored Aoi who had one hand on the wall and a startled expression on her face. The brown haired girl seemed more concerned about Marguerite than Natsuki running away.

The midnight haired teen sprinted down the corridor, not daring to look back. The torchlight illuminated her path and she darted to the left. Her feet hit the ground hard and her legs struggled to run in the leather tights she was wearing. There must be an exit somewhere, she thought. If she could just find a window she would have an idea of where to go.

She skidded to a stop when she reached stone steps. They lead up into the wall. Looking over her shoulder to check if Marguerite had caught up, Natsuki leapt onto the steps, ascending as quickly as possible. Going up could only be a good thing right?

When she reached the top of the stairs her eyes widened. A stone wall blocked her way. It was a dead end. She gaped and kicked the wall angrily, who would put a dead end at the top of a stairwell? Suddenly the stone she hit, caved in and the wall twisted open.

''That was convenient...'' uttered Natsuki before slipping into her escape route.

The shaft closed behind her almost instantly but the ice Hime found herself in a bigger predicament than the last. She ducked out from behind red curtains realising she had entered what looked like a throne room. The only problem was; she wasn't alone. Five sets of eyes turned towards her.

The five figure's eyes lit up at the sight of her, their nostrils flared. They wore black suits, their faces pale and body's lean; they were cravers.

''_What..._'' gapped one of them, ''_...is that smell?''_

They sniffed the air like animals, the whites of their eyes began to turn red.

The veins cracked across their skin and their mouths stretched. One of them began to drool turning his head to face Natsuki, his jaw had dislodged unnaturally and his teeth grew into sharp spikes.

Saliva oozed out of his lips and his arms splintered painfully as if the bones were breaking. They stretched out into long clawed limbs ripping his clothes apart.

_''You smell...''_ gargled a woman also spotting Natsuki and beginning to go through the same change, _''...delicious''_

Natsuki took a step back _Shit..._ she cursed gritting her teeth, this was bad. No pistols, no Hime powers. She needed to perform a miracle to kill five cravers without being bitten.

The man who had first began to change positioned himself on all fours and leapt at Natsuki, his hair had started falling out and his ears had grown sharp and pointy. His body was a mangled mess but the smell of Hime blood forced him to leap at her before his change was complete. Unable to resist the cravers had no choice but to give into the darkness.

The next thing Natsuki knew, she was running towards him. She threw her fist in the air and it impacted the creature's jaw with a crack. The monster fell to the ground vomiting out the saliva that had got stuck in it's throat.

A snarl to the left caused the ice Hime to duck. A lashing arm swept over her head; just missing her. With one smooth motion she kicked the next opponents legs out from under them. But it wasn't long until her previous attacker had returned. Natsuki went on the defensive dodging every ferocious swipe sent her way. Her feet danced along the marble tiles and her body flexed at difficult angles. It reminded her of the fight she had with Shizuru. Except the roles were now reversed, she had been the raging craver. Mindlessly trying to fulfill her ambition.

She waited for the right moment to strike and it wasn't long until the beast left itself open. With lightning speed Natsuki kicked the beast hitting it in the jaw for the second time. It's head snapped to the side whilst it stumble a few meters to the left. Emerald eyes watched as it hunched over emitting a low growl. The ice Hime looked around her and noticed the other four cravers slowly prowling closer. THe hunched over creature snarled louder becoming enraged at the prolonged capture of it's prey.

This was not good.

The back of the creature snapped and the rest of the mans clothes tore off completely as a bony spine morphed itself onto his body. Ribs cracked out as the creature's stomach was sucked in. His legs became long thin sticks, almost nothing but bone to match his clawed hands. Big yellow eyes set their sights on Natsuki and the ice Hime took a step back recognizing the full metamorphosis of a Class C craver. It roared and the sound was so loud that she had to clamp her hands over her ears. The sound stretched out and when it was finally silent the beast attacked.

Natsuki dived out of the way running across the room as the others followed her. The first creature took the lead whilst the others prowled closer; some still beginning the same transformation. Just as the ice Hime reached the wall the creature caught up to her; swiping at her feet. The claw just missed her ankles and she kicked off trying to gain a bit of distance. The midnight haired woman ducked as she reached the side wall and the beast fell into a tangled mess of curtains. The shattering of glass followed and the man vanished through the wall. Emerald eyes widened and Natsuki leapt up staring at the torn curtains hanging out of a window.

A window!

Sunlight and icy cold air rushed into the room and Natsuki caught a glimpse of white before she was forced to the ground. The ferocious, hungry growl of the craver hit her and her hands flew up to grab it's face. The smell of burning flesh and unnatural strength overwhelmed her. The beast had pushed her out of the light and in turn was slowly being cooked. The stink was indescribable.

It snapped it's jaws at her neck, crawling over her on all fours. The Hime tore at the creature's face with her fingers trying to push it away. Instead of feeling cold death, the tight skin was sticky and hot, an immediate affect from the sunlight. The flesh peeled away under her grasp but the craver did not care. It was desperate, it was hungry, it wanted the taste of a Hime in it's jaws. It paid it's steaming body no mind.

A large tongue dashed out desperately trying to lick Natsuki's flesh. When it could not reach her neck, it settled to lick the palm of her hand currently preventing her from death.

Her face twitched angrily at the disgusting sensation. Her arms began to feel weak, especially the newly healed wrist. The craver forced its face closer, it's jaws snapping and drooling onto Natsuki's clothes.

_''_Damn it...'' gritted the woman as those jagged teeth got closer and closer. Her limbs were beginning to shake unsteadily. The idea of holding the beast until he melted away into thick goo evaporated from her mind. Its desperation was too great. She probably had no choice but to face a bite.

Then suddenly the craver was ripped off of her by a reckoning force.

The creature howled angrily as its prey was out of it's reach.

The desperate snarling ceased with six different deafening cracks.

Natsuki lay there in alarm as the craver's head was torn from it's shoulders and thrown to the side. Red sloshed onto the white marbled floor and the other three remaining monster's met a similar fate.

One moment they were sneering and salivating at their prey and the next their chests were gashed out, necks slashed and heads cleaved off. One even had it's jaws pried open until the skin tore and it's bones cracked - tearing it into two.

Natsuki scrambled to a seating position staring at the bloodbath in front of her. In the center of it all stood Shizuru licking the blood on her hand like a cat.

''My, why does Natsuki always have to get into trouble'' the chestnut haired craver turned around, her crimson eyes sparkling. She walked forward stopping a few feet away and holding out a hand, ''Come''

Emerald eyes stared at that hand and Natsuki realised what position she was in. She was sitting in the light.

Her eyes widened.

The shattered window had allowed sunlight to enter the room and Shizuru was standing in the shadows to avoid it.

Slowly the Hime stood up, her eyes echoing defiance as she glared at Shizuru. Crimson eyes turned to slits at the look Natsuki shot back at her.

The craver's pale hand dropped to the side, ''Choose wisely my little mouse'' spoke the ex-Hime, her voice dull at the recognition of Natsuki's planned betrayal.

The ice Hime stared daggers at the chestnut haired craver, ''Let me go'' she ordered

''Natsuki knows I cannot do that'' retorted Shizuru almost immediately

''Why? It wont be long until I recover'' stated the Hime, ''There will be nothing stopping me from _killing_ you and _this_ -'' Natsuki pointed to the horrifying scene, ''-changes nothing!''

''The purpose of your stay would be to ensure our location remains covert'' uttered Shizuru, ''However the intention of keeping you here is entirely my own''

''I don't understand...'' growled Natsuki throwing her arm to the side, ''Why? What is it you want from me?!''

''Does it really allude you so?'' replied Shizuru, before giving the midnight haired teen the answer, _''Everything''_

The craver spoke as if it was the simplest of explanations and the look on Shizuru's face made the ice Hime flinch in surprise. There was a sadistic satisfaction in those red eyes, as if the chestnut haired woman was visualizing her desire.

''You already took _everything_ from me...'' glowered Natsuki remembering the past as if it was just yesterday. She could still see everything so clearly. The worst part was the happy memories. The memories of Shizuru getting closer to her when she was lost and alone. The memories of feeling safe in those eyes that now looked at her as if she was a three course meal.

The midnight haired teen snarled at the unaffected expression on the craver's face, ''_You_ killed everyone and everything that mattered to me and the worst part is that _you_ didn't have the decency to **die! **You had to turn into this _thing_ and walk around with the face of the only person I ever cared about!''

Then Natsuki dived towards the curtain on her left, ripping it from it's sockets. The light cut into the room and Shizuru hissed, taking a step back to avoid the sun.

''Natsuki acts like I had a choice'' muttered Shizuru her eyes dark as Natsuki tore away at another curtain, shielded by the day. The craver could not stop her but instead mirrored her steps as she walked. Half the room was lit up now, dissecting Natsuki and Shizuru on opposite sides.

''It doesn't matter'' snapped the ice Hime turning towards Shizuru and meeting her gaze, ''You _killed_ them and you're going to keep killing others if I don't stop you''

Natsuki felt them again; tears. They stung at the corner of her eyes whilst her chest swelled. She began to pace along the wall, safe from Shizuru's grasp; as long as she remained in the light that is.

''Why must you bare such a burden?'' questioned the craver her eyes narrowing in confusion, ''I have allowed you to live and you reward me with defiance''

Shizuru followed her every step as Natsuki continued. She was waiting for a moment to strike, but the ice Hime would not give it to her. Every step she took was as cautious as the last.

''Letting me live was the biggest mistake you're cold dead heart could ever make'' retorted Natsuki coming to a halt, ''As long as I'm alive I will avenge my family, _**your **_family, and every single person you have murdered''

''Natsuki is very convincing'' smiled Shizuru taking a step forward, inches away from the light, ''Letting you live may be a mistake, but I do not regret it. Nor do I regret killing my family''

Blood red eyes shifted to the dead cravers on the left, ''I also do not care who or what gets in my way''

''You're a monster'' growled Natsuki continuing her pacing until she stopped in front of the broken window. Shizuru followed her, their eyes never leaving each other.

''Yes...'' hummed the craver in agreement, ''But I did say Natsuki was safe here and established that security by getting rid of my friends no? The least she can do is trust me''

Shizuru gestured to the dead beasts as she spoke but the midnight haired woman continued to stare daggers at her opponent

''I could never trust something like you'' replied the ice Hime the words leaving her lips heavily

''Then what do you propose?'' questioned Shizuru lifting her hands up to bring attention to their surroundings, ''We stand here until nightfall? The building will be full of my kind''

''We end this'' uttered Natsuki lifting her hand up into the air.

Shizuru's eyes followed the palm with amusement until the emerald eyed girl directed that palm towards the broken glass in the window. Blood red eyes widened. _**''Stop!''**_ shouted Shizuru her eyebrows knitting together in anger and alarm. The craver almost leapt forward, stuck between whether to leap for Natsuki or protect herself from the sun. The look of shock on the chestnut haired creature's face brought a sense of satisfaction to the ice Hime. She had caught Shizuru by complete suprise.

Natsuki threw her hand towards the glass with more determination, but suddenly her entire being became stiff. Just as her skin touched the surface of the window she was unable to slice it open to draw blood; she collapsed. Electricity pulsed through every limb in Natsuki's body. She shook on the ground. Her vision clouded and blurred, but there was no mistaking it, the figure that loomed over her was a smudge of teal green and black cloth.

Marguerite looked down at the twitching figure, she watched emerald eyes seal shut before drawing her attention to Shizuru.

''Fujino-sama ...forgive me'' quickly the teal haired woman draped a curtain over the window. It blocked out the light protecting the ice Hime.

''It is quite alright Tomoe-chan'' sighed the blood eyed craver. The expression on Shizuru's face could almost be described as relief. Crimson eyes met the girl's gaze for the first time, ''You rescued me'' she winked.

Marguerite nodded nervously avoiding the gesture and glancing back down at Natsuki's unconscious form. She bent down almost pulling the taser barbs out but stopped herself. Her fingers let go of the barbs and left them in place. If she pulled them out there may be blood and she had no intention of facing the consequences of that mistake.

''I s-should take her back to her quarters'' uttered the woman, ''as you requested''

A cold hand touched her cheek and Marguerite flinched. Her face was turned to the side to find Shizuru had moved next to her in a flash. Their eyes locked and the craver spoke, ''You look pale''

''I'm fine'' swallowed the teal haired woman speaking quickly, ''y-you should be resting Fujino-sama. It is bad for you to be up during the daylight hours''

The cravers eyes narrowed dangerously; which did not go unnoticed by Marguerite, and a dark smile stretched it's way onto Shizuru's lips.

''Thank you for your concern, but I had pressing matters to attend to'' Shizuru turned away, ''take the day off once you return Natsuki to her room''

''Yes Fujino-sama, forgive me'' she repeated nervously as the craver slowly walked out of the room. Just as Shizuru reached the door she halted.

''Oh and Tomoe-chan, she is no longer allowed to leave her quarters'' ordered the craver, ''Under any circumstances. Even if I so foolishly request it''

''Understood F-fujino-sama''

* * *

><p>...<p>

Tada! More encounters to come I guess

How is the pacing? I feel like it went too fast in this chapter

Let me know what you think! Like it? Hate it? etc etc the usual drill!

Ramblerambleramble.


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